Inside The Panthers

Pitt DT Calijah Kancey Ranked Second-Most Athletic First-Round Pick

Next Gen Stats has Pitt Panthers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey as the second-most athletic first-round draft pick.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt DT Calijah Kancey Ranked Second-Most Athletic First-Round Pick
Pitt DT Calijah Kancey Ranked Second-Most Athletic First-Round Pick /
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PITTSBURGH -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made it consecutive years with a Pitt Panther selected in the first round for the first time since 2007-08 by taking defensive tackle Calijah Kancey with the 19th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

By taking Pitt's stud defensive lineman, the Buccaneers took the second-most athletic player to go in the first round of this year's draft. Kancey earned a 98 athleticism score from the NFL's Next Gen Stats - one point behind newly-minted Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson and tied with New York Giants cornerback Deontae Banks. 

Kancey wowed scouts at the NFL Combine by running a 4.67-second 40-yard dash, the fastest a player weighing more than 280 pounds has ever run at the event. He also posted an unofficial 6.82-second three-cone drill and the fastest ran at the NFL Combine was a 7.30. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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