Buccaneers fortify a second area of their defense with Georgia S Tykee Smith in third round of NFL Draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a second selection on Friday night to their defense, picking Georgia safety Tykee Smith with the 89th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.  The team took Alabama edge rusher Chris Braswell earlier in the night. 

While one might think the move is an interesting one for the Bucs - who brought Jordan Whitehead back to Tampa Bay in free agency and placed the franchise tag on All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. - because Smith is listed as a safety, the versatile defensive back should be in the mix as a nickel cornerback. 

A to Z Sports' draft analyst James Foster ranks Smith as his 80th best overall prospect and 6th overall saety.

Tykee Smith Scouting Report from A to Z Sports Film Room's James Foster

Strengths:

• Disruptive & instinctive run defender in the alley
• Dominant block shedder. Strikes the frame & disengages quickly
• Efficient opening his hips & gearing up to top speed
• Fluid athlete with mirror skills for man coverage
• Reads the WR's body language, turns his head, & locates the ball
• Showed potential as a blitzer
• Good composure & route anticipation from trail-technique
• 4 interceptions in 2023
• Seamless transitions turning his hips & accelerating downfield

Weaknesses:

• Modest size/frame
• Had a good 40-time at Georgia's pro day, but recovery speed is average on tape
• Inconsistent tackling balance
• Leans weight upfield & drifts away from stop routes
• Loses the edge & struggles to cut off outside runs
• Grabby in man coverage
• Loses track of extended routes in scramble-drill situations
• True deep threats could challenge him in the NFL

There's a lot to like about Smith as far as an overall profile.  He sticks to receivers in man coverage, and he's been outstanding in run support.  He also can get after the quarterback, being one of three players in FBS to record at least 4 interceptions and 2 sacks in 2023.  

The Bucs had a guy for years who thrived creating turnovers and generating sacks from the slot.  Yeah, that Ronde Barber fellow, who put in quite the career.  Smith will obviously have light years to travel to reach even being mentioned in the same sentence as number twenty, but he still is an intriguing player as a slot option with the ability to slide to safety as an injury replacement.