Buccaneers defensive lineman named make-or-break player for 2025

Can this Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive player live up to expectations in 2025?

Oct 13, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmet against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' struggles have shown on the defensive side of the ball, and they were likely a main reason why they didn't achieve the success they had hoped for a season ago.

The Bucs offense was the complete opposite, ranking as a top-five unit in the league with Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, and the emergence of Bucky Irving playing vital roles for Liam Coen's offense.

The defense dealt with a ton of injuries last season, but depth concerns, along with a lack of getting into the backfield and poor secondary play, didn't help matters.

The Buccaneers will be looking to turn that side of the ball around in 2025. Much of the pressure will be put on the defensive line, specifically from their outside linebacker edge rushers. However, according to PFF, it will be a make-or-break season for former first-round pick Calijah Kancey.

Jan 12, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey (94) tackles Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. (8) during the fourth quarter of a NFC wild card playoff at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

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"Similar to fellow 2023 first-rounder Mazi Smith, Kancey hasn’t lived up to his billing for Tampa Bay through two seasons in the NFL," wrote PFF writer Dalton Wasserman. "To his credit, the undersized Kancey has racked up 85 pressures since the start of 2023, a top-20 mark among defensive tackles. However, that’s not enough to offset his dreadful 28.7 PFF run-defense grade in that span."

Kancey dealt with injuries during his rookie season and could never quite find his footing. However, he turned things around in his sophomore season, especially when it came to getting to the quarterback, coming away with 7.5 sacks.

Kancey's sack totals helped alongside Vita Vea to lead the team in sacks, but ultimately, it was his subpar run support that places him as the Bucs' make-or-break player in 2025. Kancey hasn't done enough in this area for a position where it can be vital to force offenses into longer yardages to go.

A lot of the pressure for stopping the run has come on Vea's shoulders, so it would be nice to see Kancey start to take some of that away. The Bucs also drafted Elijah Roberts in this year's draft, and he is expected to rotate along the front to give the position a bit of a boost.

It's a pivotal year for Kancey as he enters his third season in the league. If he can transform himself into a more balanced defensive lineman and the rest of the defense can live up to the standard held by Todd Bowles, then we could see the defense leap from what we saw a season ago.

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