Pittsburgh DT Calijah Kancey (No. 19 overall)
North Dakota State OG Cody Mauch (No. 48)
Louisville edge YaYa Diaby (No. 82)
Pittsburgh LB SirVocea Dennis (No. 153)
Purdue TE Payne Durham (No. 171)
Kansas State DB Josh Hayes (No. 181)
Nebraska WR Trey Palmer (No. 191)
Eastern Michigan edge Jose Ramirez (No. 196)
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: Kancey brings versatility, explosiveness and underrated leverage to the Bucs' defensive line. Trading up for Mauch to fill in at guard made sense because he can also slide outside if the team needs him there. Diaby's an athletic work in progress who must reach his potential to justify the mid-third-round selection.
Dennis attacks the backfield and the ball with reckless abandon, as does Ramirez from the edge. Durham is a nice replacement for Cameron Brate, and Palmer gives the team a deep speed option if he's able to clean up his drops. Tampa Bay needs to sign some offensive linemen after the draft.
Despite some calls for them to take a quarterback, the primary objective for the Tampa Bay was to add depth in the trenches and it did just that. Kancey was a shrewd defensive tackle selection at No. 19 who has drawn some have drawn comparisons to his Pitt predecessor in Aaron Donald. Putting him next to Vita Vea on the interior defensive line is going to create problems for offensive linemen should he pan out. They then went with Mauch in the second round and while he’ll most likely start on the interior, there’s a chance that he could eventually be starting opposite Tristan Wirfs at tackle. Overall, a solid meat and potatoes draft for the Bucs as they begin the post-Tom Brady era. B+. — NS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Grade: B-
Draft picks: DT Calijah Kancey, OT Cody Mauch, EDGE YaYa Diaby, LB SirVocea Dennis, TE Payne Durham, CB Josh Hayes, WR Trey Palmer, EDGE Jose Ramirez
Analysis: The Buccaneers filled plenty of needs on both sides of the ball, but outside of the great start with Kancey and Mauch to fill voids on their offensive and defensive line, they underwhelmed with GM Jason Licht's first post-Tom Brady draft. Two glaring omissions from the class is a QB (given just about everyone else took one) and another running back.
Last edited by 13F11B on Sun Apr 30, 2023 10:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (C-)
Given QB Tom Brady's retirement, the defensive lean was surprising ... unless HC Todd Bowles was making the picks. Pairing first-round DT Calijah Kancey with Vita Vea inside should create a fun combo to watch. But nice as second-round OL Cody Mauch should be, might have been nice to give QBs Baker Mayfield and/or Kyle Trask a bit more help.
Analysis: Stop anyone who compares Kancey to fellow undersized Pittsburgh-groomed defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Still, he could be a sleeper Rookie of the Year choice. The gap-toothed Mauch looks like he should play for the Lightning, but offers tackle/guard flexibility. Diaby is an upside pick.
I’m dubious of the value of drafting an undersized, two-down interior pass rusher with the 19th pick, but I am a fan of Pitt’s Calijah Kancey, who plays with explosive quickness and powerful hands. North Dakota State offensive lineman Cody Mauch fits the mold as a gritty Buccaneers interior lineman—and if you think Mauch reminds you of Bucs center Ryan Jensen, well you’re not the only one. Mauch gives the team a versatile and tough future starter. And I loved the selection of Louisville pass-rusher YaYa Diaby, who has the versatility to line up across the defensive line. Fifth-round tight end Payne Durham (Purdue) and sixth-round receiver Trey Palmer (Nebraska) should see rotational snaps early on, too. All in all, Tampa Bay put together a solid draft class.
There's promising speed all over, from the trenches and top pick Calijah Kancey to receiver Trey Palmer late. Second-round guard Cody Mauch is as colorful a prospect as you'll find. Tampa Bay used the third day to upgrade depth on both sides of the ball. Even undrafted running back Sean Tucker from Syracuse looks like someone who could crack their 53. —Auman
