Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Tykee Smith in 3rd round of 2024 NFL Draft
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Georgia Bulldogs safety Tykee Smith in the 3rd round of the 2024 NFL Draft with the No. 89 overall pick. Smith spent the last three seasons at Georgia and helped the team win back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022.
Smith had his best season with the Bulldogs in 2023, leading the team in tackles (70) tackles for loss (8.5) and interceptions (four). He tallied a career-high 10 tackles against Tennessee and followed that up with seven tackles against Georgia Tech. Smith’s production in 2023 led to him being named to the All-America Second Team by CBS.
“Everybody’s going into the program so no matter who’s going, who’s leaving, who’s declaring for the draft, they’re still going to do what they do,” Smith said at the Combine in February. “Coach [Kirby] Smart is still gonna put them in the best position for everybody to be successful. The dynasty ain’t going nowhere.”
In 2022, Smith played in 14 games and tallied 28 tackles. In the national championship game against TCU, the 23-year-old registered one tack and two pass breakups.
Smith joined the Bulldogs in 2021 after spending his first two seasons at West Virginia. He missed the first five games in 2021 due to a preseason injury.
Smith played high school football at Imhotep Institute Charter High School in Philadelphia where he was a three-star recruit. He ranked as the No. 557 overall prospect and the No. 53 safety in the 2019 class, according to the On3 Industry Rating.
What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Tykee Smith
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com shared his analysis of Smith in his scouting report. He projects the Philadelphia native being drafted in the fifth round due to his lack of height and length and being “outflanked by speed in run support.” But Zierlein likes how Smith recorded many tackles and interceptions in his final season at Georgia.
“It doesn’t take long to see why Kirby Smart and Georgia welcomed Smith over from West Virginia when he was in the transfer portal,” Zierlein wrote. “Smith plays the ‘Star’ position and is like an additional linebacker in a much smaller frame. He’s at his best playing forward and has the strength to take on blockers and disrupt pass catchers underneath. Smith is compact and strong but lacks the functional height and length for downfield coverage. He plays with an NFL demeanor but will likely be typecast in a very narrow role as a sub-package safety with coverage limitations.”