Bucs Gameday

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Select Calijah Kancey in Round 1 of 2023 NFL Draft

The Buccaneers surprise everyone by selecting an undersized, interior pass rusher with their first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Collin Haalboom

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With the 19th pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected Calijah Kancey, an interior defensive lineman from the University of Pittsburgh.

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Kancey was a standout player during his time with the Pitt Panthers. Listed at 6'1", 281 pounds, he is undersized for an interior defensive lineman, but an extremely explosive, and athletic pass rusher. Kancey registered a 4.67 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine, which speaks to his unique speed for a defensive lineman. 

This was a very surprising pick by the Bucs. Most observers — including myself — had expected the Buccaneers to target an offensive tackle like Anton Harrison, or an edge rusher, such as Nolan Smith, with this pick. Both of those players were still on the board when the Buccaneers submitted their pick.

This is now three years in a row that Buccaneers' GM, Jason Licht, has used his first selection on a defensive lineman. In 2021, he drafted Joe Tryon-Shoyinka at the bottom of the first, and last year, after trading back to the top of the second round, selected Logan Hall.

Obviously, the Buccaneers' scouting department is very high on Kancey. Although he is predominantly an interior player, he is much more of a threat as a pass rusher than he is a run-stuffer. No one can deny the fact that Tampa Bay needed to add some juice to their pass rush. And although most people expected them to address that need by drafting an edge rusher, they should be satisfied that the Buccaneers selected the player that they believe is most equipped to get after the quarterback.

How successful will Kancey be in year one? Nobody knows. But there's no denying the fact that he has the physical ability to be an impact player right away. And for those of you who are less than pleased with this selection, don't forget, there are still six rounds left to go. 

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Collin Haalboom
COLLIN HAALBOOM

Prior to joining BucsGameday and Sports Illustrated, Collin's written content was provided through Bucs Banter, and NFL Draft Lounge. He is also the creator and host of the Bucs Banter Podcast. He is a graduate of the Communication Studies program at McMaster University, where he was also a varsity basketball player, and later an advanced scout. He lives with his wife and two children in Hamilton, ON. You can follow Collin on YouTube and Twitter.