Bucs have a hawk in the secondary.

Joe is not anti-stats, but sometimes, they make Joe laugh.

One stat the Bucs apparently use Joe never heard of before. “Hawk Percentage.” It’s a calculation using a combination of passes defensed, picks and targets. This is supposed to give folks an idea how much of a ballhawk a defensive back is.

And apparently, Bucs safety Tykee Smith is a hawk.

(Hey, this stat seems to have merit, unlike the nonsense passer rating stats that Joe Buck can’t begin a broadcast without, or the utterly worthless PFF tribe offensive line grades.)

Per the Bucs, Smith’s hawk percentage (for whatever that’s worth) is 26.3. So what? OK, Joe gets it. But apparently, per the Bucs’ media relations staff, this is the fifth-best in 2026 among all safeties with at least 30 targets.

Now that’s impressive.

Joe saw a comment on this here website yesterday complaining that the Bucs drafted Emeka Egbuka over hard-hitting safety Nick Emmanwori who eventually went to Seattle, thus, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht needs to be dragged down Waters Avenue behind a pickup, or at least fired as a result.

Well, the Bucs weren’t in the market for a safety because they apparently felt comfortable with Antoine Winfield and Smith at safety. Joe thinks they were right.

The Bucs have a lot of problems, especially on defense. Safeties aren’t a problem.