Bucs’ Calijah Kancey, Yaya Diaby primed for big things in 2024
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers landed a pair of instant-impact players for their defense in the 2023 NFL draft, as defensive lineman Calijah Kancey and outside linebacker Yaya Diaby both made an immediate splash last season.
Kancey, a first-round pick out of Pitt, overcame a calf injury that slowed the start of his rookie campaign, finishing on a dominant tear to finish his first year in the NFL.
A third-rounder out of Louisville, Diaby racked up 7.5 sacks as a rookie, proving to be one of the biggest steals of the entire draft.
Earlier this week at the NFL’s league meetings in Orlando, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles talked about why he’s expecting even bigger things from both players moving forward:
When combined with other high-caliber defenders like All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and future Hall of Fame linebacker Lavonte David, Kancey and Diaby should help take the Tampa Bay defense to another level in 2024.
WR Mike Evans
Getty Images
Share this
image
gallery
TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins
(Photo by Brian Kersey/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
RB Charles Sims
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
G Kadeem Edwards
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
OL Kevin Pamphile
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
WR Robert Herron
(Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
QB Jameis Winston
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
OT Donovan Smith
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
G Ali Marpet
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
LB Kwon Alexander
(Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
WR Kenny Bell
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
WR Kaelin Clay
Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
RB Joey Iosefa
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
CB Vernon Hargreaves III
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
OLB Noah Spence
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
K Roberto Aguayo
David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
CB Ryan Smith
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
OT Caleb Benenoch
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
LB Devante Bond
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
FB Dan Vitale
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
TE O.J. Howard
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
S Justin Evans
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
WR Chris Godwin
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
LB Kendell Beckwith
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
RB Jeremy McNichols
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
DL Stevie Tu'ikolovatu
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
DL Vita Vea
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
RB Ronald Jones II
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
DB M.J. Stewart
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
CB Carlton Davis III
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
G Alex Cappa
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
S Jordan Whitehead
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
WR Justin Watson
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
LB Jack Cichy
(Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
LB Devin White
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
CB Sean Murphy-Bunting
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
CB Jamel Dean
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
S Mike Edwards
(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
OLB Anthony Nelson
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
K Matt Gay
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
WR Scotty Miller
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
DL Terry Beckner III
Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
OT Tristan Wirfs
(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
S Antoine Winfield Jr.
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
WR Tyler Johnson
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
DL Khalil Davis
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
LB Chapelle Russell
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
RB Raymond Calais
(Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
QB Kyle Trask
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
OL Robert Hainsey
(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
WR Jaelon Darden
Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
LB K.J. Britt
(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
CB Chris Wilcox
Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
LB Grant Stuard
(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
DL Logan Hall
Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
OT Luke Goedeke
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
RB Rachaad White
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
TE Cade Otton
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
P Jake Camarda
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
CB Zyon McCollum
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
TE Ko Kieft
(Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
OLB Andre Anthony
Andrew Nelles / USA TODAY NETWORK
Share this
image
gallery
DL Calijah Kancey
Junfu Han-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
G Cody Mauch
(Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
OLB Yaya Diaby
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
LB SirVocea Dennis
Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
Share this
image
gallery
TE Payne Durham
Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
DB Josh Hayes
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
WR Trey Palmer
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Share this
image
gallery
OLB Jose Ramirez
(Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
