Bucs select DT Calijah Kancey with 19th pick in NFL draft

Updated Apr. 28, 2023 12:23 a.m. ET

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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Calijah Kancey isn't looking to be the next Aaron Donald.

The first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of Donald's alma mater, Pittsburgh, wants to make a name for himself.

“It’s great to be compared to a guy like that, of that caliber,” Kancey said after the Bucs selected him 19th overall Thursday night, addressing a desire to get younger, stronger and quicker up front as the team retools for the post-Tom Brady era.

“But at the end of the day I’m Calijah Kancey,” he added, “and that’s who I want to make a name for.”

The Bucs have already brought in 2018 No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield to compete with third-year pro Kyle Trask to replace Brady, who retired — this time for good, the 45-year-old quarterback says — in February.

Kancey's play at Pitt often drew comparisons to a young Donald, who starred with the Panthers before developing into one of the most dominant defensive players in the NFL and a Super Bowl champion with the Los Angeles Rams.

The native of Miami, who had 16 sacks and 34 1/2 tackles for loss over his last three seasons in college, will be expected to bolster Tampa Bay's pass rush and contribute right away on a team that despite going 8-9 in Brady's final season is coming off winning consecutive NFC South titles for the first time in franchise history.

It's the second straight year the Bucs have used their top draft pick on a defensive lineman. Logan Hall was the first selection of the second round, No. 33 overall, and played sparingly as a rookie in 2022.

Offensive tackle was deemed a more pressing need following the release of veteran left tackle Donovan Smith, however depth on the defensive line was a strong consideration, too, due to the loss of Akiem Hicks, Will Gholston and Rakeem Nunez-Roches to free agency.

“Honestly, throughout this process and talking to them, I didn’t have a clue that I’d be the one they’d call. I’m very grateful for this opportunity,” Kancey said by telephone from Miami, where he watched the draft on television with family and friends..

“I definitely knew I was a first-round pick,” he added. “My size (6-foot, 281 pounds) is something I think moved me down on the charts. But honestly, I always felt I was a first-round pick.”

The Bucs are rebuilding after a three-year run with Brady that produced a Super Bowl title and three playoff berths.

Brady finished third in the NFL in passing yards behind Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, however the seven-time Super Bowl winner set a league record for passing attempts while getting little help from the league's worst rushing attack.

Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich was fired following a lopsided loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the opening round of the playoffs and replaced by former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Dave Canales.

Canales helped Geno Smith rebound to become the NFL Comeback Player of the Year last season. The Bucs are hoping Mayfield, who's with his fourth team, and Trask will be able to thrive under Canales, too.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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