Tykee Smith Film Review: Playmaking Nickelback

Tykee Smith spent his first two years at West Virginia where he played 22 games as a freshman and sophomore where he recorded 111 tackles 10.5 tackles for loss, one sack, four interceptions, one forced fumble, nine passes defensed and one touchdown. After transferring to Georgia in 2021 he played in just one game as a true junior before being lost for the rest of the season to a torn ACL.

Smith saw the Bulldogs won a national title that season and was on the field as a starter the next year to help Georgia win back-to-back national championships. Last year, the Bulldogs only lost one game, 27-24, to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

Combined with his 2022 and 2023 seasons Smith finished his tenure with Georgia with 98 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, four sacks, one forced fumble, three passes defensed and four interceptions. Smith’s best season was his platform campaign in 2023 when he recorded 70 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and a team-high four interceptions.

Positives

• Instinctive in coverage with the ability to quickly process route combinations. Especially shows up when matched up against trips on 3×1 sets.

• Physical through early stages of routes. Forces receivers to run through him when they stem.

• Sets edges in run game well. Takes on offensive linemen physically. Strong at point of attack.

• Good feel for blitzing and constantly makes plays in the backfield.

Negatives

• Lacks elite top end speed. Play speed doesn’t match athletic testing.
• Limited experience as a deep safety playing single or two-high.
• Can get flipped to wrong side of early changes in direction by receivers.

While I describe the spin move in the clip above as “cool” in the tweet it really was Smith having to make up for getting turned in the wrong direction initial.

Overall Outlook For Tykee Smith With The Bucs

Tykee Smith’s college tape is better than Christian Izien’s, which is why he was a third-round pick while Izien did not get drafted out of Rutgers in 2023. He should have a good shot at winning the starting nickel role. Smith’s combination of physicality and instincts should be an upgrade on slot blitzes over Izien’s inconsistent performance there last year.

The Bucs love the fact that he comes to Tampa Bay expecting to win after Georgia compiled an amazing 42-2 record during Smith’s three years with the Bulldogs program. And the fact that Smith played a ton of nickel cornerback in Kirby Smart’s defense, which has some similarities to Todd Bowles’ scheme – perhaps making Smith a plug-and-play DB in Tampa Bay.

In 2022 when Antoine Winfield Jr. primarily played nickelback he was able to create nine pressures and four sacks on just 38 pass rushes primarily from the slot. In 2024, Izien also created nine pressures, but no sacks on almost twice as many pass rushes. Smith only had 32 pass rushes last year at Georgia, but also had nine pressures and two sacks. He certainly brings a Winfield-like playing style to the slot.

Smith also brings real ball skills to a Bucs defense that has struggled to consistently create interceptions over the past two seasons.