Tykee Smith Move To Safety Is Working Well
October 24th, 2025
Making an impact.
Tykee Smith played slot corner as a rookie last season. He did fine.
Starting six games and playing in 13, Smith forced three fumbles and had two picks. That led the Bucs in forced turnovers.
This year in a move to safety, Smith seems to have found the perfect fit. He leads the Bucs in tackles through seven games (58), has a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery.
Smith said it’s beginning to feel like he’s right at home.
“I feel comfortable [at safety],” Smith said yesterday. “What are we in, Game 7? I am feeling comfortable as we get more games, the more reps I take and then like I said before, I think the coaches have done a really good job of utilizing me.”
So what does he like about playing safety? Well, unlike last year, he’s had a chance to blast quarterbacks.
“I really like being able to get two sacks this year without being able to get them last year,” Smith said. “So a big change in that department.”
Affecting games, he said, boils down to being active.
“Just trying to be involved in any play as much as possible,” Smith said. “[I am] really just trying to make a play for my team anyway possible.
“That is me being involved in a run fit, playing up high, just trying to do a variety of things to help the team win.”
With Smith improving each game and playing alongside All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield, the Bucs have one of the better safety duos brewing.
October 24th, 2025 at 9:21 am
Having a great season
October 24th, 2025 at 9:28 am
He routinely gets to the ball carrier before Dennis. Maybe they should move him to MLB?
October 24th, 2025 at 9:49 am
Smith and Parrish are balling out this year. Nice to see progress!!
October 24th, 2025 at 10:03 am
Bowles is the db whisperer
October 24th, 2025 at 10:13 am
I was a bit of a Smith skeptic and worried about Winfield’s health and ability to stay healthy. I wanted the Bucs to draft Emmanwori.
I still worry about Winfield’s ability to stay healthy. But, I have to say the Winfield and Smith have exceeded my expectations.
That is not the case at ILB where it still looks to me that the Bucs are weak and missed out on a generational talent by not taking Campbell.
I absolutely concede that Egbuka has exceeded my expectations. But, looking at the Bucs roster, I remain convinced and believe that the Bucs have demonstrated that there was much more WR talent available than ILB talent, and that ILB talent was and is what the Bucs needed.
October 24th, 2025 at 10:22 am
GREAT JOB TS23!!!
the move has paid off big time….
joe and others thought bowles was making a mistake moving t.smith lol…
GO BUCS!!!!
October 24th, 2025 at 10:23 am
Hes been our most consistent player on defense this year i think. Either him or Vita but hes having a heck of a season so far its just never good when your safety leads the league in tackles but him and AWJR should be a really good safety pairing for a few years to come.
October 24th, 2025 at 10:42 am
Great to hear that both Tykee and my man, Parrish the rookie DB, are having very good years. Wonder who spotted those 2 before the draft? Okay, you guys, let’s go get a pick6 Sunday in the Big Easy. I’m with 813: GO BUCS!!
October 24th, 2025 at 10:53 am
I wish every defensive Buc had the attitude that Tykee carries!!! I see great things for him as the year progresses, when your aggressive good things happen!!! Go Bucs.
October 24th, 2025 at 12:05 pm
I was VERY pleased that the Bucs drafted him where they did. He was my ‘favorite’ player on that great DAWG Defense. I said then, that we STOLE HIM. He always, really stood-out! And, that’s really saying something when talking about THOSE Georgia Defenses under Kirby Smart. I mean, he was ALL OVER the field. High-Energy. Played HARD. Just a Helluva FOOTBALL PLAYER. I’m kinda shocked he didn’t have any sacks last season… seems-like, he had at least a couple. As soon as they announced the move to Safety, I said that the Bucs will have THE #1 Safety Duo in the LEAGUE. No Doubt. NONE. But, I expected Junior to be our #1. For whatever reason(s) he has not been the same player. It’s made me wonder if he has even been fully healthy this season!? I was really looking forward to seeing them both DOMINATE like those old Ravens Secondaries. I was more excited about that than probably, anything!!!! Tykee is guy you want on your team. 💯
October 24th, 2025 at 12:20 pm
That was my ‘favorite’ draft class… Got Barton, and then, Tykee and JMac (both steals) ‘back-to-back’ (due to the Carlton Davis trade). I liked Braswell, too! Thought he was going to be a stud, but something is lacking there!?:/ But, I LOVED that draft… Agreed with EVERY Pick.
October 24th, 2025 at 1:29 pm
I’ll take a page out of some of the habitual commentor’s book and say this…
Smith is way better than Winfield this year (at least my admittedly untrained eye).
Could you imagine if Winfield was better than Smith? We’d be amazing in the back end.
October 24th, 2025 at 1:30 pm
Habitual **negative** commentor’s book
October 24th, 2025 at 2:06 pm
Yes it is. I knew we needed help back there and wanted one with our first, then WR second…but glad we Egbuka instead and just moved Smith.
October 24th, 2025 at 2:20 pm
Tykee Is the guy that stands out tall above ALL the other defenders this year. My Very Favorite defender this year. This guy IS a STUD that I can’t believe made it to the THIRD ROUND! Who made the tackle? Tykee Did. Who stopped the bleeding? Tykee Did.. And he’s GOING TO do it again and again. Another FANTASTIC draft pick from Jason Licht..
He called it himself last year when he asked to move to safety starting This year. For him, the safety position is “hand in glove”, a PERFECT FIT..
October 24th, 2025 at 2:37 pm
Tykee Smith IS playing better than Winfield – and that’s a statistical FACT!
The Bucs are pretty loaded with talent at DB this year – but that only goes so far if the front 4/5 are unable to get consistent pressure on QBs……
October 24th, 2025 at 4:58 pm
Safety is the swiss army knife of the defense. No wonder they are usually tops in tackles and int’s because of what they do. Bowles said last year that Smith was no rookie and EE is that guy this year. There is only so much draft capital to go around but I would say that the Bucs are spending well.
October 24th, 2025 at 10:42 pm
Smith is slowly taking over this defense. Love Footes comments this week, he has the right mentality and fundamentals to take his game to the next level. Besides Vita, this is his defense.