Tampa Bay Buccaneers take Pitt defensive tackle with 2023 first-round pick

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For the third year in a row, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers used their first pick of the NFL Draft on a defensive player.

With the 19th pick in the first round, the Buccaneers selected Calijah Kancey, a defensive lineman from the University of Pittsburgh. The All-American was a stand-out player during his time with the Panthers.

"He's a super-disruptive interior player that you can actually play outside a little bit too," said General Manager Jason Licht. "I know that our coaches are excited about all the different things you can do with a player like this just because of his elite athleticism, quickness; [he's] super intelligent, [and] just a great competitor.”

Tampa Bay’s defense generated 45 sacks during the 2022 season, ranking them 12th in the league in sacks-per-pass-play rate. But over half of them came from off-ball linebackers or defensive backs.

Earlier in the offseason, Head Coach Todd Bowles said the team needed to create more pressure off the edges, and Licht said the team could use more speed overall. That’s what they’re hoping Kancey will bring to the team.

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Listed at 6’1”, 281 pounds, Kancey is traditionally undersized for an interior defensive lineman. But with a 4.67-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, his clocked time proves him to be an extremely explosive and athletic pass rusher. He was an All-ACC selection as a sophomore at Pitt and was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.

Kancey's play at Pitt often drew comparisons to a young Aaron Donald, who starred with the Panthers before developing into one of the most dominant defensive players in the NFL and a Super Bowl champion with the Los Angeles Rams.

Kancey is the 12th defensive lineman the Buccaneers have drafted in the first round, which makes it the most targeted position in team history. He's the second Pitt player to join the list, following linebacker Hugh Green in 1981.

Rounds two and three of the Draft are Friday at 7 p.m. The Bucs have the 50th and 80th pick in those rounds. The remaining rounds will be picked on Saturday.