NFL mock draft: 3 teams that Calijah Kancey could be a force with

NFL mock draft: Calijah Kancey fit No. 2 – Kansas City Chiefs

Yes, the Kansas City Chiefs already have one superstar defensive tackle on the roster in Chris Jones. He had an argument for Defensive Player of the Year in his own right this past season and has been a dominant force for several years since he was drafted out of Mississippi State.

It’s the depth around him that will be a question for 2023, though. Both Khalen Saunders and Derrick Nnadi are set to hit free agency, as is defensive end Carlos Dunlap. They could bring some of those guys back, but it also stands to reason that the Chiefs would also like to get younger at the position and find a potential high-upside player to replenish the depth like Kancey.

While I’m high on the potential of Kancey and even more so with the explosiveness shown in Indianapolis at the NFL Combine, his size does mean that he’s going to need a defensive coordinator who is creative in figuring out how to maximize his athleticism and arsenal of pass-rushing moves.

Steve Spagnuolo is a fantastic option to do that with the way he likes to mix up looks and move guys around in the front seven (and really all over the defense). Kancey could potentially thrive under that type of coaching and he would make a lot of sense if he was there with the 31st overall pick.