Buccaneers’ Calijah Kancey Expected To Jump To All-Pro Status In 2025

We are full on into the NFL offseason Buccaneers’ fans. And with no actual football to discuss, many are talking about hypotheticals and early predictions for next season. Who had the best offseason, who has the most favorable schedules, what player will have a breakout season, etc.

One podcast that recently put out their list of breakout players for every NFL team was Check The Mic with Steve Palazzollo and Sam Munson. They listed the up and coming player for every team who they thought was primed to take the next step. This of course included the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

However, I found their choice for the Buccaneers surprising. Not because I think they picked a bad player, but because they highlighted someone who I thought was much more established than the other players on their list. That player was defensive tackle Calijah Kancey.

Kancey is entering his third year in the NFL. During that time he has proven to be an incredibly versatile and disruptive defensive tackle. So that led me to the natural question; what would a breakout season for Kancey look like? 

In short, the next step is reaching the All Pro level. Some may consider this a big jump considering he has never made a Pro Bowl. However, Kancey is one of the premier pass rushing defensive tackles in the NFL and a much better run defender than some give him credit for.

Kancey ranked 6th in the NFL in sacks by a defensive tackle with 7.5. He trailed stars such as Leonard Williams (11.0 sacks), Dexter Lawrence (9.0 sacks) and Cam Heyward (8.0 sacks). However, there is something that separates Kancey between other rising stars such as Kobie Turner (8.0 sacks) and Braden Fiske (8.5 sacks).

Kancey was injured for the first five weeks of last season and only played in 12 games last season. Whereas every defensive tackle ahead of him in sacks played at least 16 games, with the exception of Dexter Lawerence who also played 12 games. So while Kancey might have had fewer sacks than some, he was more impactful than most when he was on the field, even those who had more sacks than him. 

Even with the time missed, Kancey compares favorably to most star defensive tackles in terms of pass rushing. When you look at the 4.5 sacks of second team all pro defensive tackle Jalen Carter or at the 5.0 sacks of first team All Pro Chris Jones, you can really start to appreciate how disruptive Kancey was in his second season. 

In terms of his run defense, we know what Kancey is. He’s powerful, but undersized. He will give up ground to a double team, but he’s strong enough to hold the point of attack against even the most intimidating run blockers such as Quenton Nelson or Penei Sewell. But where he really shines is in shedding those blocks and making tackles for loss.

Similar to his sack numbers, Kancey was one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL when it comes to making tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He again tied for sixth in this category with Jeffery Simmons and Nnamdi Madubuike. Again, just like with sacks, the five players who ranked above Kancey all played at least 16 games last year. 

Kancey would have obviously been higher on both lists if he hadn’t missed the first five weeks of the season. Even with missing that time, he was every bit as effective as All Pros and future Hall of Famers. As we move into next season, there is every reason to believe that he will sustain that level of productivity.

There are two main things that make Kancey so effective. 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. He can shed some of the best offensive linemen in the NFL with his impressive technique. Don’t expect either of things to drop off.

So do I totally disagree that Kancey will be a breakout player in 2025? No, because I do think he will take a step forward in his career. But there is a big difference between establishing yourself as a good NFL player in terms of breaking out and taking the jump to be an All Pro level player. Kancey’s breakout season would be the later of those two.