Latest news with #CalijahKancey
USA Today
21-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
5 Burning questions on the Bucs defense that need answered ahead of 2025
As the Buccaneers finalize their roster and coaching setups under Todd Bowles and Larry Foote, every defensive unit enters camp with a defining question. Answering these will shape Tampa Bay's performance in a competitive NFC South. Defensive Line: Can Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey sustain dominance and health? The interior thrives on the presence of Vita Vea, a force against both the run and the pass, and Calijah Kancey, whose quick interior pass rush made a national impact in his sophomore season. However, Kancey has dealt with calf injuries that have forced him to miss multiple games in his first two seasons. With depth from Logan Hall, Greg Gaines, and rookie Elijah Roberts providing rotational support, the question is: Can this interior line stay healthy and consistently disrupt offenses from Week 1 to the (hopefully) postseason peak? Safety: Can Antoine Winfield Jr. maintain elite play while mentoring youth? Antoine Winfield Jr. remains the backbone of Tampa Bay's secondary, excelling in the deep zone, the slot, run support, and turning plays over. He'll have a new running mate in the secondary in Tykee Smith, as the defensive Swiss Army knife makes the transition from corner to safety. Behind the duo is Kaevon Merriweather, JJ Roberts and possibly UDFA Shilo Sanders The core question: Can Winfield Jr. continue to play at an All-Pro level while grooming these young safeties to fill his sizable shoes? Edge Rushers: Will young talent translate to consistent pressure? The edge group holds high upside but has inconsistencies. Yaya Diaby, the team's most successful pass rusher in 2024, looks to turn his pressures into sacks with the help of newly acquired Haason Reddick, while Chris Braswell enters his sophomore season with the opportunity for more snaps with Joe Tryon-Shoyinka moving on to Cleveland. Depth includes Anthony Nelson and Rookie David Walker rotating in. The question is: Can the young rushers sustain a high level of play and generate pressure weekly, rather than flashes? Cornerbacks: Will Zyon McCollum emerge as a true CB1? After a breakout 2024, Zyon McCollum is expected to anchor the back end. Jamel Dean, when healthy, adds veteran presence, while Christian Izien and possibly rookie Jacob Parrish play nickel. Behind them, depth pieces like rookie Benjamin Morrison, Kindle Vildor, and Josh Hayes fill out the rotation. The question: Can McCollum cement himself as a top-tier CB1 while emerging depth holds up during the inevitable NFL attrition? Linebackers: Can Tampa stabilize the linebacking core through youth and new signings? The linebacker unit presents the biggest question mark. Lavonte David still commands respect and production at 14 years in the league. Free-agent addition Anthony Walker Jr. brings experience, and SirVocea Dennis returns full-time after an injury. Backup names include Deion Jones and Antonio Grier Jr., who are mostly special-teams contributors at this point. The primary question: Can the younger linebackers and free-agent additions absorb responsibility and form a reliable corps alongside a Hall of Famer?
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Buccaneers' Star Defensive Tackle Predicted for Breakout Season
Buccaneers' Star Defensive Tackle Predicted for Breakout Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. If there's been one knock on Calijah Kancey during his two seasons in the NFL, it's his lack of reliability. Advertisement Which sounds harsh, considering he's missed eight games across his first two seasons since joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers via the No. 19 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. But those missed games keep adding up, and the concern is real. That's an ominous start to any NFL career, and the Bucs hope it's not a trend. When he's been on the field, he's been great, and that's why PFN believes 2025 could be a breakout year for Kancey. "Calijah Kancey took a big step forward as a pass rusher in his second NFL season, leading the Buccaneers with 7.5 sacks, 39 pressures, and 18 quarterback hits in just 12 games. His pressure rate jumped to 11 percent in 2024, up from 9.4 percent as a rookie, making him one of the more disruptive interior defenders in the league," BrandonAustin wrote. While Tampa Bay's defense finished middle of the pack in PFSN's Defense+ metric and struggled against the pass, Kancey's ability to generate consistent pressure was a bright spot. With the addition of Haason Reddick to the defensive front, Kancey could see more favorable matchups and opportunities and reach double-digit sacks in 2025. Advertisement "With the addition of Haason Reddick to the defensive front, Kancey could see more favorable matchups and opportunities and reach double-digit sacks in 2025." Calf injuries have plagued Kancey in both years of his career. He suffered a calf injury in training camp of his rookie season but returned for the season opener before missing a month, 11 games into the season, after aggravating it. The defensive interior combination of Kancey and Vita Vea is a force the Bucs hope can stay together in 2025 and beyond, as long as both can stay healthy. Related: Buccaneers' Offensive Tackle Charlie Heck is Ready to Save the Season Related: Buccaneers' New Pass Rusher Labeled 'Player to Root For' This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
01-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 Tampa Bay Buccaneers projections: How many sacks will Calijah Kancey have in 2025?
Calijah Kancey enters his third NFL season full of momentum. In 2024, across 12 games and 541 snaps, Kancey registered 7.5 sacks, an impressive total for an interior defensive lineman. What stands out even more are his underlying pass-rush metrics. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Kancey's pressure rate jumped from 9.1% as a rookie to 10.5% last year, with his time to pressure falling from 3.07 to 2.77 seconds. Even more telling, his sack conversion rate skyrocketed from 12.1% in 2023 to 20.3% in 2024, a sign that when he gets there, he's finishing the job. Add it all up: Kancey isn't just winning reps, he's doing so faster and turning them into sacks with elite efficiency. On tape, his explosive get-off, hold-your-ground leverage, and high motor have consistently disrupted pockets, even when balanced against double-teams. Entering 2025 fully healthy, Kancey now benefits from an improved supporting cast. Vita Vea will continue to attract double-teams inside, while Haason Reddick's presence on the edge is likely to pull protection away from the interior. The Bucs have indicated plans to elevate Kancey's pass-rush role, particularly on third downs and in stunt-heavy packages, which are exactly the scenarios where his quickness and pressure skills create growth in his pressure and sack conversion metrics suggests Kancey is ready to transform more of those pressures into finished plays. If he plays a full 17-game slate and maintains last year's efficiency, the ceiling is high. Kancey's 2024 performance wasn't a fluke. The results confirm his talent. With an expanded role and better pocket collapse around him, expect a breakout in 2025.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Glaring Weakness of Buccaneers' 2023 First-Round Pick Revealed
Glaring Weakness of Buccaneers' 2023 First-Round Pick Revealed originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and general manager Jason Licht have drafted well over the past few seasons, and it's resulted in the team winning a record-tying four straight NFC South titles and making five consecutive postseason appearances in a row. Advertisement One of those draft picks, 2023 first-round defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, has been a bright spot on the defensive line with one glaring exception, as Pro Football Focus' Dalton Wasserman explains. "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 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 has appeared in 26 games the past two seasons, all starts, and posted 54 total tackles with 41 solo and 21 for loss. He's added 29 QB hits, forced one fumble, and recovered another. Those who have watched Kancey over the past two seasons have seen him be an important part of the front part of the defense. Advertisement But coming out of college, the knock against him was his size and run-stopping ability and size. NFL analyst Lance Zierlein compared Kancey to former Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks defender John Randle, and noted his lack of run-stopping prowess. "Undersized, one-gapping defensive tackle who is explosive and productive. He's a strong and determined player, but Kancey is still going to be a hit-or-miss run defender due to his lack of mass and length," Zierlein wrote. "His leverage and motor are often too much for guards to handle alone. Kancey might be most effective as a rotational run defender and full-time, sub-package rusher, but his size will not define him in the NFL." While Kancey might not be the best rushing defender on the team, his value is certainly seen across the board for the Buccaneers. Related: Buccaneers' Mike Evans Among NFL's Best at One Specific Route Related: Buccaneers' Coach Todd Bowles is 'More Ron Rivera than Mike Tomlin' This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
13-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
3 Buccaneers players who need to bounce back from a tough 2024 season
3 Buccaneers players who need to bounce back from a tough 2024 season The 2025 season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be vital for the team as a whole and some specific players. The team has won four straight NFC South division titles, yet they remain with an empty belly regarding success. Not many teams would feel that way but when you have won a Super Bowl in the last six years, expectations remain high, especially when so many players from that team were young at the time and remain on the team. Veteran experience is invaluable and the 2025 version of the Bucs remains loaded with it so they know what is at stake based on the build of this team. As they are aware, so are we, which is why we wanted to point out some players who need to step up to help the Bucs secure a Super Bowl in 2025. SirVocea Dennis, Linebacker The Bucs sent a message to their linebacker group during the NFL Draft when they decided not to draft any; it was "we trust you." Whether or not that is the right approach remains to be seen; the one player who will dictate that answer will be SirVocea Dennis. The former Pittsburgh Panther linebacker is coming off an injury-riddled 2024 season, but the team is optimistic about his potential in 2025 and beyond. If he can be healthy and play to that potential alongside Lavonte David, this linebacker group could be reaching its peak. Calijah Kancey, Defensive Lineman Calijah Kancey missed the beginning of the 2024 season, but once he got onto the field, he played like a man possessed. He made the most of every rep he had on the field, and as a result, the Bucs defensive front became one of the more dominant and entertaining groups in the entire league. Kancey is now thinking he can hit 10 plus sacks in 2025, which, if he does, could have the Bucs defense cooking with gas for the first time in a long time. Ben Bredeson, Guard Ben Bredeson's contract was extended this Spring when he was brought back to the Bucs after briefly hitting the market. The Bucs guard is going to have to step up as the Bucs schedule has them facing a lot of teams with tough defensive fronts, especially on their interior. This offense is now just pass happy anymore; they are looking to establish the run. Bredeson will have to be at his best to help Bucky Irving and Rachaad White; otherwise, the pressure falls back on Baker Mayfield and his receivers, as defenses can drop back.
