Tykee Smith

From rookie role (50 tackles in 2024) to full-time starter (99 in 2025) — and his impact metrics nearly doubled too.

Picked 89th overall (3rd round, Georgia) in the 2024 draft, Smith stepped into a rotational role as a rookie and produced 50 combined tackles + 7 pass defenses + 3 forced fumbles.

In 2025 he doubled the tackle production (99 combined) and pushed pass defenses to 13 — a near 2x in every meaningful safety metric. The Bucs gave him the full-time job and he answered with a starter-caliber year.

13 pass defenses in 2025 — top-15 mark among all defensive backs league-wide.

Smith's 13 pass defenses in 2025 put him in the league's top-15 for any DB — and every player ahead of him is a starting cornerback. Smith is a safety doing it from deeper coverage, which makes the pass-defense count an underrated signal.

For a player who was a rotational rookie last year, hitting top-15 in any DB ranking is a year-two outlier.

3 forced fumbles as a rookie. Then 2 fumble recoveries in 2025 — the ball-finding stat moved from take to recover.

As a rookie, Smith was a forced-fumble specialist — 3 FFs in a part-time role, which is starter-grade volume for one season.

In 2025 the pattern inverted: 0 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries. He went from the player who pops the ball loose to the player who picks it up — different play, same end result. 5 total turnovers created through 2 seasons is rare for a Day-2 rookie.

6 TFLs and 2 sacks in 2025 — added pass rush production from the safety spot.

The Bucs used Smith as a box safety on early downs and a blitzer in obvious passing situations in 2025. The result: 6 TFLs and 2 sacks, both career highs.

5 QB hits from the safety position is the kind of number that shows a team trusts him in coverage enough to risk him in the rush. The closest comp for that role nationally is Tampa's own Antoine Winfield Jr. — the player Smith was drafted to eventually replace.

149 combined tackles across 2 seasons — top-3 in the entire 2024 draft class.

In the 2024 draft class, only a handful of defensive backs cleared 149 combined tackles in their first two NFL seasons. Cooper DeJean (PHI, 2nd round) and Quinyon Mitchell (PHI, 1st round) are the only true position-mate matches on volume.

Smith was the 89th overall pick — taken behind 4 other safeties in his class. His 149 combined tackles + 20 PDs + 3 FFs + 2 FRs through year two is the best combined production line of any non-1st-round safety from 2024.

The label that fits: rotational rookie who turned into a top-5 player from his draft class by year two.

60 solo tackles, 39 assists, 13 PDs — only 4 NFL safeties matched all three thresholds in 2025.

In 2025, the combination of 60+ solo tackles + 35+ assists + 10+ PDs from a safety was met by just 4 players league-wide. Smith was the only one of those 4 who is in their second NFL season.

The other names on that list are veterans: 7+ year starters with established Pro Bowl resumes. Smith is doing volume + ball production at a Pro Bowl rate in his second year — the kind of Y2 jump that turns into a long-term contract before he hits free agency.