Bleacher Nation NFL 2023 Mock Draft: The Eagles D-Line Gets Younger

The Bleacher Nation NFL 2023 Mock Draft will be a running mock draft that spans between now and round one of the NFL Draft. Each of the 31 picks (Miami forfeited their first-round pick due to tampering) will get a dedicated post. Here’s how it’ll work:

• Every pick in the Mock Draft gets its own post. We will do one or two picks per day.
• We will link back to previous posts with a running draft recap.
• This feature will not include trades and will cover the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Eagles are on the clock in the Bleacher Nation NFL Mock Draft …

The Pick Is In

DT Calijah Kancey — Pitt

The Fit

The Eagles spent a 2022 first-rounder (No. 13) on defensive tackle Jordan Davis, and with Fletcher Cox in town for potentially one more season, the Eagles go back to the well and take Pitt’s Calijah Kancey.

Kancey can play behind Davis and Cox in 2023 and move into Cox’s spot and next to Davis in 2024, keeping the Eagles loaded up front with Davis and Kancey in the middle and Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat on the edges.

Scouting Report

Calijah Kancey made headlines at the NFL Scouting Combine when he broke Aaron Donald’s 40-yard dash time. Kancey ran an official 4.67 40-yard dash and had teams dreaming of what a defensive tackle with that type of speed and explosiveness looks like.

Well, take a look:

Q: But what does a DT who runs a 4.67 in the 40-yard dash look like on film?

A: Like this.pic.twitter.com/QMYVdOiAU8

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) March 2, 2023

Kancey logged 14.5 sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss in his last two seasons at Pitt and was a unanimous All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. Kancey has elite lateral quickness and explosive hands and can drive blockers backward at the point of contact with above-average contact balance.

PFF has Kancey ranked as their 13th best prospect on their big board. Some places have him lower. Dane Brugler at The Athletic has him at No. 26, and The Ringer has Kancey at No. 36.

Brugler says that his initial quickness and ability to maneuver his hips in the hole allow him to win at the snap, but his undersized frame and average strength will be more pronounced versus NFL blockers.

Final Thoughts: The Eagles lost Javon Hargrave to the 49ers in free agency. Still, they can draft his eventual replacement at No. 10. Hargrave’s 11 sacks will be missed, and drafting in the trenches to help keep the Eagles’ defensive line the best in football is a good strategy. There’s some boom-or-bust potential in Kancey, but as I said in the Bears mock, top ten picks are for swings at high ceilings.

Bleacher Nation’s 2023 NFL Mock Draft

1. Carolina Panthers (via CHI) — QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
2. Houston Texans — QB Bryce Young, Alabama
3. Arizona Cardinals — EDGE Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
4. Indianapolis Colts — QB Anthony Richardson, Florida
5. Seattle Seahawks (via DEN) — DT Jalen Carter, Georgia
6. Detroit Lions (via LAR) — EDGE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
7. Las Vegas Raiders — QB Will Levis, Kentucky
8. Atlanta Falcons — EDGE Myles Murphy, Clemson
9. Chicago Bears (via CAR) — CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
10. Philadelphia Eagles (via NO) — DT Calijah Kancey, Pitt
11. Tennessee Titans
12. Houston Texans (via CLE)
13. New York Jets
14. New England Patriots
15. Green Bay Packers
16. Washington Commanders
17. Pittsburgh Steelers
18. Detroit Lions
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Seattle Seahawks
21. Los Angeles Chargers
22. Baltimore Ravens
23. Minnesota Vikings
24. Jacksonville Jaguars
25. New York Giants
26. Dallas Cowboys
27. Buffalo Bills
28. Cincinnati Bengals
29. New Orleans Saints (via SF)
30. Philadelphia Eagles
31. Kansas City Chiefs