The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offense has been getting a lot of attention this offseason, but if this team is going to get itself back into Super Bowl contention in 2025, it’ll be because their underrated defense takes the next step, and former 2023 first-rounder Calijah Kancey headlines the list of rising stars poised for a huge year.
Within a document shared with Heavy on Buccaneers, Pro Football Network predicted that Kancey would have a “breakout” season in 2025. Although they started by acknowledging that his last campaign was pretty darn good in its own right.
“It feels wrong calling a defensive tackle who had 7.5 sacks last year a ‘breakout candidate.’ But despite that success, Calijah Kancey isn’t talked about as much as he should be,” the NFL analysis site noted.
“An explosive defensive tackle who can create backfield penetration, Kancey has already proven he can rush the passer,” Pro Football Network wrote on. Adding: “If he continues to grow against the run, the sky’s the limit for him in 2025.”
Buccaneers DL Calijah Kancey Agrees With Breakout Prediction
GettyTampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Calijah Kancey celebrates a sack in 2024.
Kancey isn’t shying away from expectations this spring. Back in April, the 24-year-old boldly implied that he plans to lead the NFL in sacks, assuming health.
And that’s really been the major issue for Kancey throughout his first two professional seasons.
Kancey only started 12 games in 2024 after suiting up for 14 as a rookie. Despite that, he managed a team-leading 7.5 sacks.
If Kancey is going to lead the NFL in sacks, though, he’ll not only need better health but better efficiency, too.
According to Pro Football Focus, Kancey’s pass-rush win rate only ranked 33rd among interior defensive linemen who played a minimum of 50% of snaps. Throw edge rushers into the mix, and Kancey places even lower.
Ironically, the first-round talent was very productive when it came to getting home and bringing down the opposing quarterback, with 7.5 sacks off 40 quarterback pressures, but his overall win rate and pressure total were far less effective.
Kancey’s best pass-rushing metric on PFF was his PRP score. The NFL film site defines PRP as “a formula that combines sacks, hits and hurries relative to how many times they rush the passer.”
In this area, Kancey ranked tied for 13th in the NFL among interior defensive linemen who played a minimum of 50% of snaps.
What Would Qualify as a Breakout Season for Bucs Ex-First-Rounder Calijah Kancey?
In order for this prediction to come true, Kancey must at least break through the double-digit sack plateau in year three. But how about aiming for a more elite sack total?
We already know that Kancey wants to be No. 1, and it’s not an impossible goal. However, a much more reasonable breakout impact would be 12 sacks.
Last year, only edge rushers and linebackers surpassed the 11-sack mark. Leonard Williams led all interior defensive linemen with 11.0 sacks, but it was a bit of a down year overall.
A 12-sack campaign would turn Kancey into more of a household name around the league, and what better way to judge a breakout season than fans and analysts taking notice of you as you develop into one of the NFL’s most fearsome pass rushers?
“There are two main things that make Kancey so effective,” Bucs Report contributor J.T. Olson wrote on June 7 while discussing a similar scenario. “The first is that he is incredibly athletic. Him being undersized also means that he is quicker than most offensive linemen, as well as more mobile, which helps him be effective with stunts across the defensive line.”
“The other thing that makes Kancey great is his hand usage,” the Buccaneers writer continued. “He can shed some of the best offensive linemen in the NFL with his impressive technique. Don’t expect either of these things to drop off.”
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