Tykee Smith, Todd Bowles connections result in great fit for third round pick

Todd Bowles and Tykee Smith share a couple of unique connections. Both have ties to Georgia with Bowles’ son Troy a member of the Bulldogs and Smith having been part of the program the past three seasons. Each has an appreciation for Philadelphia with Bowles having attended Temple and Smith being a native of the City of Brother Love. Of course there’s the shared position on the field too in the secondary. Bowles played eight seasons in the NFL while Smith is just getting his professional career underway.

What does all that mean? Well, it meant Bowles felt comfortable talking Smith with the Buccaneers’ third round pick. Taken 89th overall by Tampa Bay, Tykee Smith is headed south to continue his relationship with the head coach and try and make an impact on his new team.

“Tykee Smith is probably what Coach Bowles always wants to get in a safety,” Buccaneers safeties coach Nick Rapone said about Smith. “We’d like him taller if we could, but he’s 4.46 (40-yard dash) and we cross train so much. He will come in as a safety and as a nickel. It could be nickel-safety, safety-nickel, we’ll see how the progress goes. He gives you a 205 pound frame. He’s productive, he’s physical, he can run, he’s used to winning. That’s important.”

Smith definitely is used to winning. After transferring to Georgia in 2021, the former West Virginia Mountaineer was part of two National Championship winning teams in Athens. He tore his ACL during his first season, slowing down his progress some. However, Smith was back on the field and a key contributor in 2022 for the second title of the back-to-back crowns and ended up leading the team in both tackles and interceptions this past season. That’s the type of player Bowles loves to add to his team.

“He discussed kind of how I’d be used and how he sees me fitting into the defensive scheme,” Smith said about conversations he’s had with Bowles. “He was down in Athens a couple of times last season to watch his son play so he got an opportunity to watch me play … When we talked, he said he could see me playing safety or nickel.”

“I think he does a real good job of putting his players in the best positions to use their skillset to the best of their ability. Georgia also did a real good job at that,” Smith added. “When we met, he said they ran similar stuff to what Georgia ran so it’d be a plug and play. He’s also got a background at Temple, so he knows where I came from and the chip on the shoulder I’ve got. He knows I’m going to come in every day and put my best foot forward.”

Smith, like so many other Georgia players, believes his versatility is among his biggest assets. Football IQ and a “Dawg mentality” are others he named. He also knows he’s got a knack for making some big plays, picking off four passes this past season while forcing a fumble the year before.

“See ball, get ball,” Smith said. “Turnovers get you paid. Being able to change the momentum of the game is what I pride myself on and being able to make impactful plays on the game. Just can’t wait to get an opportunity to showcase that down there.”

Smith said he’s grateful for the way things worked out at Georgia, and the 2023 season saw it all come together for him. Without it, there’s a good chance he wouldn’t have been picked as highly. Most projections coming into the season didn’t include Smith or had him as a day three pick. Combine a strong season with impressive performances during the pre-draft process, and it all resulted in the third round selection.

“Me coming from a winning culture and being one of the leaders on that winning team, I’m going to try to adapt that to a new locker room and bring those traits,” Smith said.

“This year, Coach Smart and the staff trusted me to be the guy and allowed me to go out there and make plays,” he added. “(They) Put me in the best situations to use my skillset to make plays on Saturdays. Definitely grateful for the opportunity to go there. I wouldn’t change it for nothing.”

Smith was one of eight Georgia players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft along with Brock Bowers (Las Vegas Raider – 1st Round), Amarius Mims (Cincinnati Bengals – 1st Round), Ladd McConkey (Los Angeles Chargers – 2nd Round), Kamari Lassiter (Houston Texans – 2nd Round), Javon Bullard (Green Bay Packers – 2nd Round), Sedrick Van Pran (Buffalo Bills – 5th Round) and Zion Logue (Atlanta Falcons – 6th Round). Kendall Milton (Philadelphia Eagles), Daijun Edwards (Pittsburgh Steelers), Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint (Washington Commanders) and Tramel Walthour (Baltimore Ravens) have all signed deals as undrafted free agents.