Kancey, the Buccaneers' rookie first-round pick, impressed during non-padded spring work with his quickness off the ball and holistic grasp of the team's schemes, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports. "He's not just a lineman trying to line up and do things, he's trying to understand everything on the defensive line and the offensive line, so he knows how to play," head coach Todd Bowles said. "I'm very impressed with that."
Kancey finished his college career at Pittsburgh with 34.5 tackles for loss, including 16 sacks, underscoring his ability to disrupt backfields at a svelte-for-a-defensive-tackle 280 pounds. Laine notes the rookie 19th overall pick is seen as an ideal three-technique tackle complement to the mammoth Vita Vea along the interior of the Buccaneers' defensive line, and his stellar production despite his smallish frame has already drawn comparisons to Aaron Donald and franchise legend Warren Sapp, per Laine.