NFL.com just released its latest 2023 mock draft from Lance Zierlein. Cincinnati Bengals selected Pittsburgh defensive lineman Calijah Kancey with the 28th pick.
“Let’s step outside of the box here,” Zierlein wrote. “Kancey is right at 280 pounds but is ridiculously explosive with A+ rush talent. He can’t play every down, but he can impact games from the interior.”
Kancey posted 31 tackles and 7 sacks last season for the Panthers.
Based on the consensus big board, this would be a serious reach at No. 28. Kancey is ranked 50th overall and is getting mock drafted most often to the Bengals at Pick 60 over the past week (25% of mock drafts).
Add in the fact that defensive line is not a top-three positional need and it gets harder to see Kancey landing with Cincinnati at No. 28, given where everything stands in the current cycle.