KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made it 3 years in a row deciding on a defensive participant with their first pick on the NFL Draft.
The Buccaneers have selected Calijah Kancey, a defensive lineman from the University of Pittsburgh, with the nineteenth pick within the first spherical. Kancey used to be an All-American participant right through his time with the Panthers.
“He’s a super-disruptive interior player that you can actually play outside a little bit too,” mentioned General Manager Jason Licht. “I do know that our coaches are thinking about all of the various things you’ll be able to do with a participant like this simply as a result of his elite athleticism, quickness; [he’s] tremendous clever, [and] simply a really perfect competitor.”
During the 2022 season, Tampa Bay’s protection generated 45 sacks, score them twelfth within the league in sacks-per-pass-play price. However, over part of the sacks got here from off-ball linebackers or defensive backs. Head Coach Todd Bowles discussed previous within the offseason that the workforce had to create extra force off the sides. Licht additionally famous that the workforce may just use extra velocity total, and that is the place they hope Kancey will are available in.
Michael Conroy/AP
Although Kancey is historically undersized for his place at 6’1”, 281 kilos, he has an explosive and athletic move rush with a 4.67-second 40-yard sprint on the Combine. He used to be an All-ACC variety as a sophomore at Pitt and was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. Kancey’s taste of play at Pitt has drawn comparisons to a tender Aaron Donald, who used to be additionally a standout participant with the Panthers and a Super Bowl champion with the Los Angeles Rams.
With Kancey being the Buccaneers’ twelfth defensive lineman drafted within the first spherical, it makes it probably the most focused place in workforce historical past. In addition, Kancey is the second one participant from Pitt to be decided on within the first spherical, following linebacker Hugh Green in 1981. The Bucs have the fiftieth and eightieth choices in rounds two and 3 of the Draft, respectively. The closing rounds will probably be picked on Saturday.