Tackling Machine Tykee Smith
October 28th, 2025
Among the NFL’s top 10 leading tacklers this season, there is only one safety.
Heck, extend that out to the top-16 and there’s still only one safety on the board.
That’s Bucs safety Tykee Smith, a third-round pick last season. Smith will stick his face in the fire, hit and wrap up. He could teach a couple of Bucs defensive backs a thing or two.
Antoine Winfield, the Bucs 2022 nickel cornerback, was moved back to safety in 2023 and thrived all the way to the All-Pro team. Smith was probably a better nickel then Winfield and he’s also thriving with a move back to safety, where he played in college.
This year, Smith ranks 10th in the NFL in total tackles with 66 through eight games, and he’s tied for No. 7 in the league in solo tackles (39) with Raiders linebacker Devin White.
Smith also is tied for 10th in the NFL in passes defensed with eight, the second-most for a safety.
It’s safe to say Smith and Winfield have a very bright future as a safties tandem.
October 28th, 2025 at 11:44 am
what an outstanding pick…..
Tykee will he a solid Buc for many years.
I know he is greatly undersized but why is it I think he could play ILB?
October 28th, 2025 at 11:44 am
This guy is a pure stud. Excellent pick
October 28th, 2025 at 11:56 am
With the outstanding defensive pedigree from Georgia, it seemed like he’d be a key player. And he has been…great tackler, strong…I even remember a play earlier this season where he was in a dust-up with a big o-lineman…and more than holding his own.
October 28th, 2025 at 11:58 am
Had to research…it was none other than Trent Williams…and he was on the business end of it.
October 28th, 2025 at 12:11 pm
Great young player…still not crazy about a safety making that many tackles. Should be the LBs.
October 28th, 2025 at 12:18 pm
Look at Ole Devin White on the list when we need a LB.
HMMMMMMMMM!
October 28th, 2025 at 12:32 pm
Stud
October 28th, 2025 at 12:33 pm
How can we get one of those LBs ,, they are all on crappy teams
October 28th, 2025 at 1:09 pm
One caveat to their great future: injuries. Smith and Winfield are both undersized. Winfield has already had a subpar season, last year, owing to injury. Don’t get me wrong. I love the guys and hope they stay healthy, but a seventeen-game season has lots of collisions, not to mention the postseason we hope for.
October 28th, 2025 at 1:12 pm
Off topic but if Baker was his usual accurate self the past 2 weeks, we wouldn’t be having these conversations on a stale offense. His time to throw is down, but he has been off target more than usual. As example, he missed Tez open near the goal line against Detroit. Secure the Oline and we’ll be fine. Getting Luke back and the “backup “ RG back will do wonders imo. And if we can finally get McMillan, Bucky, and Godwin back – we roll!
October 28th, 2025 at 1:21 pm
We have 2 top 10 safeties!
October 28th, 2025 at 1:50 pm
AMI_Chris..that’s what I was going say.
October 28th, 2025 at 1:56 pm
Arguably the steadiest player on this defense through our first 8 games, and with the way he’s played you wouldn’t think this is his first season starting at safety. Tykee is a dawg, pun intended.
Also Smith wasn’t an outright “safety” at GA, he played the “star” which is what Bowles was doing with Deone Bucannon in AZ as a “moneybacker” and seems to be doing sparingly with Tykee. It’s pretty cool to see
October 28th, 2025 at 1:58 pm
t.smith is a BEAST!!!!!!
6-2!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
October 28th, 2025 at 1:59 pm
Safeties are back baby. Tykee and AWJ are balling.
Must be the horrible HC & DC right? Right?
October 28th, 2025 at 2:07 pm
Kind of saw this coming. I haven’t heard from too many other fans that were against the idea of Smith being moved to safety.
Most everyone was excited about the idea.
He’s been what we thought he would be… Extremely solid!
October 28th, 2025 at 2:11 pm
Great pick and also great development by Bowles and staff go ahead and add him to growing list above average DB starters Bowles has developed. Now if they could just develop a pass rushers lol what no Tampa coach has bin able to do
October 28th, 2025 at 2:51 pm
Jordyn Brooks–is he a trade option?
October 28th, 2025 at 2:58 pm
@Firethecannons
I don’t expect the dolphins to move one of their best defenders
October 28th, 2025 at 3:37 pm
Tykee is a natural tackler, thank goodness.
The DC has two good games out of the last three. That makes two for the year but the trend isn’t discouraging. Now the offense sucks. Can’t have all three phases play well.
What’s the job of a HC when one of his units sucks? Can’t run or pass or score from 1st and goal at the one. What does a head coach do about it?
Sit back and watch his rookie OC continue to flail? Eat popcorn and watch his players continue to repeatedly fail?
Self-absorbed ignorant but arrogant know it alls apparently think the answers are “yes.”
October 28th, 2025 at 3:44 pm
Speaking of tackles, how do people never talk about Broderick Thomas. Just look at this stat line from 1991…
174 tackles, 11 sacks, 6 FF.
Impressive.
BTW, know who has the NFL record for tackles in a season…
1993, Hardy Nickerson with 214. Insane.
I had forgotten that Hardy was a 1st team ALL-PRO LB – that is saying something considering how bad the Bucs were back then.
October 28th, 2025 at 3:48 pm
No one should be happy that a safety is leading the team in tackles. It’s a big sign they’re doing more clean up for the front 7 than they should be.
October 28th, 2025 at 6:48 pm
Our ILBs are both playing pretty well as a tandem – statistically at least.
Both are just short of making this list-
Dennis has 59 tackles (41 solo) – only 1 player on this list has more solo tackles
LD54 has 57 tackles (26 solo)
Both are making plays….
Combined – David and Dennis also have 4.5 sacks, 10 QB hits, 11 QB Pressures, 13 TFLs, 1 Int and 5 PDs
October 28th, 2025 at 7:56 pm
“still not crazy about a safety making that many tackles.“
Same, but I’m trying to ignore it lol. Smith does linger in and out of the the though. So it’s more like a front-7.23 or a front 7 with a slight chance of 23
October 28th, 2025 at 8:08 pm
Thanks for the perspective, Pickgrin. Todd’s usage of his players in his defense can confuse some of our fans. It makes us scratch our heads at times.
October 28th, 2025 at 8:30 pm
What does it say when you safety is leading in tackles? It says your defensive 7 upfront are not doing their job!
October 28th, 2025 at 10:16 pm
Great pick for sure. Smart, instinctive and tough player.
With that said, it’s usually not a good thing when a safety is leading your team in tackles…
October 29th, 2025 at 3:38 pm
tykee quietly gets it done big time…
meanwhile…
devin white is rolling over there in vegas – and in 7 games !…if you prorate his numbers up to 8 games, he’d be like top 5 in the league