In something of a shocking twist, the Bucs spent the No. 19 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey.

Leading up to the draft, the 6-foot-1, 281-pound Kancey had to deal with an unfair comparison to another Pitt defensive tackle of similar stature: Aaron Donald, who is a nearly identical 6-foot-1, 280 pounds. Regarded as one of the best defensive tackles in NFL history, Donald defied his size to become an elite player. While Kancey does draw parallels to him in some regards, he is a completely different prospect in others.

Kancey does not have Donald’s other-worldly strength, and he has a short wingspan and only 30 5/8-inch arms. At the next level, he will always be undersized competing against bigger offensive linemen. One of the biggest ways that Kancey can exploit his matchups is through his athleticism, which is elite for the position. He profiles almost as an edge rusher and moves like one too. He is hard for offensive linemen to tangle up, as he has a unique ability to slither and evade being stopped. Over the past two seasons, Kancey has been one of the most productive defensive tackles in college football and the tape backs it up.

Over four years at Pitt, Kancey totaled 34.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks. He totaled 27.5 of those tackles for loss in 25 games over the last two seasons, finishing his time with the Panthers on a high note. After earning unanimous All-American honors and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year Award, he then turned heads at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, leading all defensive tackles with a blazing 4.67-second 40-yard dash. His 10-yard split was a phenomenal 1.64 seconds.

Kancey was the No. 14 overall player on Pro Football Focus’ Big Board and NBC Sports’ Connor Rogers had him as a top-15 player on his board, so there’s a case to be made that the Bucs got great value by selecting him at No. 19.

Bucs Continue Building Out The Trenches With Calijah Kancey

Pitt DT Calijah Kancey Photo By: USA Today

Defensive tackle wasn’t viewed as the Bucs’ biggest need coming into the draft, with bigger holes at offensive tackle, edge rusher, slot cornerback and potentially safety. And with Oklahoma offensive tackle Anton Harrison, Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith and Alabama defensive back still on the board at No. 19, the selection of Calijah Kancey came as a pretty big surprise.

Despite the initial shock, it’s easy to see why the Bucs needed a player like Kancey. They did need to add to their defensive line, and the addition of Kancey provides them with someone to pair with Pro Bowl nose tackle Vita Vea for the long run. Tampa Bay has now picked a defensive tackle with its first selection in two consecutive drafts, with Kancey joining 2022 second-round pick Logan Hall. Kancey and Hall are certainly different types of players, but there’s suddenly set to be a big infusion of youth into the trenches for Todd Bowles’ defense.

Veterans Akiem Hicks and Will Gholston remain unsigned, and the selection of Kancey would seem to signal that they won’t be back in the fold in 2023. This falls in line with what Bowles and the Bucs’ other decision-makers have been talking about moving toward this offseason, as the team needs to get younger and faster. Kancey is certainly fast and athletic, and the addition of the former Pitt Panther may be a signal of Bowles changing up the way he deploys his defensive line.

With a 9.60 Relative Athletic Score (RAS), Kancey’s speed, explosion and agility grades were “Elite.” The only thing that dropped that overall score (out of 10) was the fact that he’s undersized. While his size certainly makes him an outlier compared to the typical mold of a recent Tampa Bay defensive lineman (see: Hicks, Ndamukong Suh), his athleticism fits what the team has up front. Hall had a RAS of 9.39 last year, and Vea is an athletic nose tackle in his own right.

The Bucs kept their interest in Calijah Kancey pretty quiet throughout the pre-draft process, as the 22-year-old said he didn’t know the team was thinking about drafting him. General manager Jason Licht, however, said he was someone they’ve liked from the beginning. It’s not hard to see why, given the athletic profile and his pass rushing ability. His 92.4 pass rush grade from PFF was the best among collegiate defensive tackles in 2022.