Calijah Kancey Earning Early Praise from Bucs GM

It didn't take long for former Pitt Panthers star Calijah Kancey to impress his new team.

PITTSBURGH -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have only gotten limited looks at their first-round draft pick, former Pitt Panther Calijah Kancey, but they're already impressed with his skills. 

Bucs general manager Jason Licht told reporters this week that the coaching staff and front office have been blown away by Kancey so far and expect him to continue improving under an aggressive scheme that will play to his pass-rushing skills. 

"The number of wow plays that he had in shorts was more than I was even expecting," Licht said. "So, that does not necessarily translate to making a bunch of plays in the NFL his rookie season. I am not saying that he will for sure be an All-Pro his rookie season or anything like that but seeing this defense – I don't want to say transform – but mold into what Todd [Bowles] does really like, an explosive and penetrating front that can get pressure up the middle as well as off the edge, with the tools that we have, it will be exciting."

Before he shattered all-time records with his speed and quickness at the NFL Combine and Pitt's Pro Day, Kancey was a unanimous All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year this past season after recording 31 tackles, 14.5 for a loss and 7.5 sacks in 11 games this year.

He suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out of the regular season finale and sidelined him for the Sun Bowl against No. 18 UCLA, but Kancey still led the country's interior defensive linemen in tackles for loss.

Tampa Bay made him the fourth defensive lineman and fifth defensive player taken in the 2023 Draft when they picked him up with the 19th overall pick. 

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