Jason Licht Excited With Tampa Bay's Selection Of "Super Disruptive" DL Calijah Kancey
As picks continued to fly off the board during the opening night of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were beginning to grow nervous. With their focus on an undersized but athletic and productive defensive lineman, General Manager Jason Licht noted that the war room was "sweating" this one out as it finally was time for the franchise to make their selection.
READ MORE: Buccaneers Getting a "Hard Worker" In Pittsburgh DL Calijah Kancey
In the end, the Buccaneers got their guy at No. 19 overall, drafting former Pittsburgh defensive lineman Calijah Kancey. The unanimous All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year has been on the rise following a historic performance at the NFL Combine. Kancey broke the 40-yard dash record among defensive tackles with a time of 4.67 seconds, the fastest since 2003. He also posted a 6.82-second three-cone drill, ran a 4.33-second 20-yard shuttle, and recorded a vertical jump of 33.5 inches at his Pro Day.
"Well, we liked him from the beginning. He's a super disruptive interior player that you can actually play outside a little bit too," Licht said to the media after the Buccaneers drafted Kancey. "I know that our coaches are excited about all the different things you can do with a player like this just because of his elite athleticism, quickness, [he's] super intelligent, [and] just a great competitor."
"I was talking up there, he's from the same area, Miami, same high school as [inside linebacker] Lavonte [David] and very similar personalities and ways that they lead and just [is an] intense, fiery competitor," Licht continued. "So, we're just really happy. We think we got a chance to get somebody, [where] in this day and age it's hard to find interior pass rushers. They're very few and far between. So hopefully, we got one."
Kancey is considered undersized at 6-foot-1, 281-pounds with the Buccaneers planning to use him at the three-technique. Licht says that the team may have to adjust on defense a little bit while detailing Kancey's traits.
"Yeah, well every player is different and you have to adjust, which, [Head Coach] Todd [Bowles] does a great job of adjusting to who you have and how you play defense. We do think that he has strength, and he does have power, and he does have ability to hold up in there. They were saying the same things, I'm not comparing him to [Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman] Aaron Donald, that's not fair, I would say he's more like [former Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman] John Randle. That was a joke. Every player is different and we're just excited. We've been talking about him, you know, through the whole process of the different ways that we can use him and how we're going to have to adjust a little bit, but maybe for the better."
Despite his size, Kancey was extremely productive at Pittsburgh, totaling 64 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, and one forced fumble during his final two years at the college level. He's also bringing a mature mindset to the table that set him apart from other players on the draft board.
"One thing we'd loved about him is the extreme mature nature about him. He's a leader, he's very smart, he was like, talking to a grown 40-year-old man. He's really got a great head on his shoulders," Licht said. "So I think that kind of separates a lot of these guys and he's got a chip on his shoulder, he wants to win and he's an ultimate competitor. So that's going to give him a chance. I don't want to say that we're expecting him to have 15 sacks or anything next year, but I know he's going to contribute and I know he's going to help us."
With the addition of Kancey, the Buccaneers have a young core of players to build upon along the defensive front including Logan Hall and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Tampa Bay also has veterans like Vita Vea and Shaq Barrett to help bridge the gap.
"I see it as adding. We're not going to overall do anything drastically different," Licht said. "People said that Warren Sapp was undersized, too. I'm sure Warren is very happy about this pick because I am pretty sure he'd like this guy – they have a very similar playstyle."
While second-round pick Logan Hall was sparsely involved as a rookie, recording just 12 tackles, five tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks in 17 games, the selection of Kancey doesn't change his projection. According to Licht, the franchise remains confident in Hall but wants to keep a solid stable of defensive linemen.
"Yeah, we still have a lot of optimism for Logan," Licht said. "You can't have too many of these guys. We may draft another one, so it's hard to find good players in the trenches."
Naturally, Kancey is drawing comparisons to fellow former Pittsburgh defensive lineman Aaron Donald. After all, both players starred for the Panthers, are undersized, and are elite athletes. With that being said, Licht doesn't find it fair to compare the two but does see some similarities in their playstyles.
"I think it's always unfair to compare a player to a several time All-Pro and first ballot Hall of Famer, but you can see some of the similarities in the way he plays," Licht said.
"[They are] undersized but super explosive, super competitive, [and have] off the charts athleticism," Licht continued.
The Buccaneers were pleased with their first selection and Kancey has the traits to develop into a standout at the professional level. He might not grow to the level of an Aaron Donald but there's a lot to like about his game and mentality.
Tampa Bay has more holes to fill on its roster on day two of the draft. As of now, the franchise holds a pair of selections on Friday - the No. 50 overall pick in the second round and the No. 82 overall pick in the third round.
READ MORE: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Select Calijah Kancey in Round 1 of 2023 NFL Draft
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