Pitt’s Calijah Kancey Selected in First Round by Tampa Bay
4/27/2023 11:00:00 PM | Football
PITTSBURGH—Pitt All-America defensive tackle Calijah Kancey was selected in the NFL Draft's first round (19th overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday evening.
It marked the second consecutive year the Panthers produced a first-round pick. In 2022, quarterback Kenny Pickett was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 20th overall selection.
Pitt last had first rounders in consecutive years in 2007 (cornerback Darrelle Revis, New York Jets) and 2008 (offensive tackle Jeff Otah, Carolina Panthers).
Overall, Kancey becomes the 27th Pitt player to be drafted in the opening round. He is the second Pitt product to be selected by Tampa Bay in the first round, joining linebacker Hugh Green, who was taken by the Buccaneers with the seventh overall pick in the 1981 draft.
"Our entire program is bursting with pride right now for Calijah," Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said. "This young man has absolutely earned all that comes with this night. Here's a Miami kid who didn't receive an in-state Power 5 offer, comes up to Pitt and ends up being a Unanimous All-American and first-round NFL Draft pick. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting a great player and even better person."
Kancey's final collegiate season ranks as one of the most decorated in Pitt history.
He was named a Unanimous All-American, earning first-team nods from each of the NCAA's recognized selectors: Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News and Walter Camp Football Foundation.
In 133 seasons of intercollegiate football, Pitt players have earned Unanimous All-America recognition only 15 times. Kancey was Pitt's first Unanimous All-American since 2013 when defensive tackle Aaron Donald earned that lofty stature.
In addition to his All-America citations, he was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the prestigious Outland Trophy (nation's top interior lineman) and Bronko Nagurski Trophy (national defensive player of the year).
College Football Network (CFN) named him the National Defensive Tackle of the Year.
Kancey truly was one of college football's most dominant players in 2022 regardless of position.
Despite facing an array of blocking schemes designed to slow him down, he compiled 31 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 11 games played. (He missed the regular-season finale at Miami and the Sun Bowl against UCLA due to injury).
His 14.5 TFLs led the nation's interior defenders.
Pitt recruited Kancey out of powerhouse Miami Northwestern High School, where he was a first-team All-Florida Class 6A performer and led the Bulls to back-to-back state championships.
PITT'S NFL FIRST-ROUND DRAFT CHOICES
Year: Player, Position, Team (pick overall)
1961: Mike Ditka, TE, Chicago (5th)
1964: Paul Martha, DB, Pittsburgh (10th)
1977: Tony Dorsett, RB, Dallas (2nd)
1978: Randy Holloway, DL, Minnesota (21st)
1981: Hugh Green, LB, Tampa Bay (7th)
1981: Randy McMillan, RB, Baltimore (12th)
1981: Mark May, OL, Washington (20th)
1983: Jimbo Covert, OL, Chicago (6th)
1983: Tim Lewis, DB, Green Bay (11th)
1983: Dan Marino, QB, Miami (27th)
1984: Bill Maas, DL, Kansas City (5th)
1985: Bill Fralic, OL, Atlanta (2nd)
1985: Chris Doleman, LB, Minnesota (4th)
1986: Bob Buczkowski, DL, L.A. Raiders (24th)
1987: Tony Woods, LB, Seattle (18th)
1988: Craig Heyward, RB, New Orleans (24th)
1989: Burt Grossman, DL, San Diego (8th)
1989: Tom Ricketts, OL, Pittsburgh (24th)
1992: Sean Gilbert, DL, L.A. Rams (3rd)
1995: Ruben Brown, OL, Buffalo (14th)
2004: Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona (3rd)
2007: Darrelle Revis, DB, New York Jets (14th)
2008: Jeff Otah, OL, Carolina (19th)
2011: Jon Baldwin, WR, Kansas City (26th)
2014: Aaron Donald, DL, St. Louis Rams (13th)
2022: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh (20th)
2023: Calijah Kancey, DL, Tampa Bay (19th)
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It marked the second consecutive year the Panthers produced a first-round pick. In 2022, quarterback Kenny Pickett was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 20th overall selection.
Pitt last had first rounders in consecutive years in 2007 (cornerback Darrelle Revis, New York Jets) and 2008 (offensive tackle Jeff Otah, Carolina Panthers).
Overall, Kancey becomes the 27th Pitt player to be drafted in the opening round. He is the second Pitt product to be selected by Tampa Bay in the first round, joining linebacker Hugh Green, who was taken by the Buccaneers with the seventh overall pick in the 1981 draft.
"Our entire program is bursting with pride right now for Calijah," Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said. "This young man has absolutely earned all that comes with this night. Here's a Miami kid who didn't receive an in-state Power 5 offer, comes up to Pitt and ends up being a Unanimous All-American and first-round NFL Draft pick. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting a great player and even better person."
Kancey's final collegiate season ranks as one of the most decorated in Pitt history.
He was named a Unanimous All-American, earning first-team nods from each of the NCAA's recognized selectors: Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News and Walter Camp Football Foundation.
In 133 seasons of intercollegiate football, Pitt players have earned Unanimous All-America recognition only 15 times. Kancey was Pitt's first Unanimous All-American since 2013 when defensive tackle Aaron Donald earned that lofty stature.
In addition to his All-America citations, he was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the prestigious Outland Trophy (nation's top interior lineman) and Bronko Nagurski Trophy (national defensive player of the year).
College Football Network (CFN) named him the National Defensive Tackle of the Year.
Kancey truly was one of college football's most dominant players in 2022 regardless of position.
Despite facing an array of blocking schemes designed to slow him down, he compiled 31 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 11 games played. (He missed the regular-season finale at Miami and the Sun Bowl against UCLA due to injury).
His 14.5 TFLs led the nation's interior defenders.
Pitt recruited Kancey out of powerhouse Miami Northwestern High School, where he was a first-team All-Florida Class 6A performer and led the Bulls to back-to-back state championships.
PITT'S NFL FIRST-ROUND DRAFT CHOICES
Year: Player, Position, Team (pick overall)
1961: Mike Ditka, TE, Chicago (5th)
1964: Paul Martha, DB, Pittsburgh (10th)
1977: Tony Dorsett, RB, Dallas (2nd)
1978: Randy Holloway, DL, Minnesota (21st)
1981: Hugh Green, LB, Tampa Bay (7th)
1981: Randy McMillan, RB, Baltimore (12th)
1981: Mark May, OL, Washington (20th)
1983: Jimbo Covert, OL, Chicago (6th)
1983: Tim Lewis, DB, Green Bay (11th)
1983: Dan Marino, QB, Miami (27th)
1984: Bill Maas, DL, Kansas City (5th)
1985: Bill Fralic, OL, Atlanta (2nd)
1985: Chris Doleman, LB, Minnesota (4th)
1986: Bob Buczkowski, DL, L.A. Raiders (24th)
1987: Tony Woods, LB, Seattle (18th)
1988: Craig Heyward, RB, New Orleans (24th)
1989: Burt Grossman, DL, San Diego (8th)
1989: Tom Ricketts, OL, Pittsburgh (24th)
1992: Sean Gilbert, DL, L.A. Rams (3rd)
1995: Ruben Brown, OL, Buffalo (14th)
2004: Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona (3rd)
2007: Darrelle Revis, DB, New York Jets (14th)
2008: Jeff Otah, OL, Carolina (19th)
2011: Jon Baldwin, WR, Kansas City (26th)
2014: Aaron Donald, DL, St. Louis Rams (13th)
2022: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh (20th)
2023: Calijah Kancey, DL, Tampa Bay (19th)
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