The Buccaneers now have same major question marks at quarterback, but the front office is using its first-round selection on the defensive side of the ball. Tampa Bay has selected Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey.
Kancey made headlines by not taking pre-draft visits, injecting some mystery into his potential landing spot. The Bucs swooped in with their first-round pick, passing on Will Levis and Hendon Hooker to bolster their interior defensive line. Tampa Bay is planning a Baker Mayfield–Kyle Trask competition. Although Levis remains on the board entering Round 2, the Bucs going with Kancey at No. 19 points to its two veteran quarterbacks going head-to-head for the right to replace Tom Brady.
Kancey’s measurables, 40-yard dash time (4.67 seconds) and alma mater have led to probably unfair comparisons, as Aaron Donald is also a short defensive tackle from Pitt. That comparison sets the bar extraordinarily high, but Kancey did total 14.5 sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons. The 6-foot-1 interior pass rusher will be expected to contribute early for the Bucs, who used a second-round pick on Logan Hall last year.
The Bucs have not re-signed Akiem Hicks or William Gholston up front, but the team needed to work its way down from a $50MM-plus cap deficit, as Brady’s void-years bill came due. Tampa Bay still managed to find a way to bring back Lavonte David and Jamel Dean, and Kancey will fill in up front alongside Hall and Vita Vea, the latter of whom annually making things a bit easier for three-techniques.
I really like this pick.