Buccaneers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey was carted off the field Sunday with a right leg injury. Coach Todd Bowles said after practice that Kancey has a calf strain and will undergo an MRI to determine the severity.
The first-round draft pick was turning the corner on a drill when he pulled up, Jenna Laine of ESPN reports. Kancey let out an expletive when he realized he couldn’t put weight on his leg.
The University of Pittsburgh product is expected to join Pro Bowler Vita Vea inside. Kancey earned first-team All-America honors in his junior year, totaling 7.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss.
The Bucs have raved about him during the offseason program and through the first week of training camp.
“The number of ‘wow’ plays that he had in shorts was more than I was even expecting,” General Manager Jason Licht said at the start of camp, via Laine. “That doesn’t necessarily always translate to making a bunch of plays in the NFL his rookie season. I’m not saying that he’s going to for sure be an All-Pro his first year or anything like that. But seeing this defense kind of mold into what Todd [Bowles] really does like in that explosive, penetrating front that can get pressure up the middle, as well as off the edge, with all the tools that we have with Devin [White] and Lavonte [David], it’s going to be exciting, that’s for sure.”