TAMPA, Florida — As Tampa Bay prepares for a Brady-less 2023 NFL season, all eyes were on the Bucs come NFL Draft day.
With the 19th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected defensive tackle Calijah Kancey of Pitt.
Kancey started 11 regular-season games at defensive tackle, only missing two matchups due to injury in the 2022 season. Kancey collected 31 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 78.5 sacks.
The lineman led the nation's interior defenders with 14.5 tackles for loss and had a career-high 3.5 sacks at Virginia and was named ACC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week.
The Miami native will be back in his home state, joining the Buccaneers for the 2023 NFL season. Kancey attended Miami Northwestern in high school and helped his team to back-to-back Florida 6A state champions.
The Bucs have eight more picks to go in the NFL Draft:
- Round 2, Pick 19, 50th Overall
- Round 3, Pick 19, 82nd Overall
- Round 5, Pick 19, 153rd Overall
- Round 5, Pick 41, 175th Overall
- Round 6, Pick 2, 179th Overall
- Round 6, Pick 4, 181st Overall
- Round 6, Pick 19, 196th Overall
- Round 7, Pick 35, 252nd Overall
The release of many players, including Leonard Fournette, Donovan Smith, Cameron Brate and Ryan Succop, gives the Buccaneers the opportunity to strengthen its team for the 2023 season.
The NFL Draft takes place over three days. The first round was held Thursday. The second and third rounds are set for Friday, April 28, and rounds four through seven will continue on Saturday.
10 Tampa Bay's Leo Santos contributed to this article.
