Tykee Smith A “Defensive Rookie Of The Year” Candidate?
October 19th, 2024
Rookie honors?
As the great Mike North, the former sports radio voice of Chicago used to say when callers got ahead of their skis and gave undue praise to a Windy City team, “Slow down!”
North’s voice immediately went through Joe’s head when Jim Wyman of the PFF tribe claimed rookie slot corner Tykee Smith is building a case to be named the 2024 “Defensive Rookie of the Year.”
Smith was particularly good in the Buccaneers’ Week 6 offensive shootout with the Saints. … The rookie allowed just two catches for 19 yards while recording an interception.
Look, Joe likes Smith a lot. He seems like a steal for a second-day draft pick. And as Wyman correctly pointed out, Smith has made Christian Izien better because Izien can now play free safety, which is his wheelhouse.
But Joe cannot say prior to Week 7 that Smith should be in the running for “Defensive Rookie of the Year.” Is Smith promising? Yes.
The best defensive rookie in the league? Joe can’t go there yet.
October 19th, 2024 at 12:20 pm
Interesting you say “No” but then fail to offer an alternate suggestion. B- Expected more.
October 19th, 2024 at 12:25 pm
Every Bucs player on the field will have to play at the top of their game Monday night to win this game. It’s the biggest challenge so far this season. If we can just keep it close and have the ball in the waning 2 minutes, we can win this. It will be either a very close game or a Ravens rout.
October 19th, 2024 at 12:42 pm
Not a chance. I think Smith is fabulous and the arrow is certainly pointing up. But he has two factors hard against him. He plays for a smaller market team, and he’s a nickel. If you don’t play for a huge market or have flashy stats as a pass rusher or outside CB it is tough sledding to win DROY.
October 19th, 2024 at 1:19 pm
Certainly Tykee had a great game playing against a depleted Saints with a rookie QB. Let’s see how he does against the Ravens TEs.
October 19th, 2024 at 1:30 pm
There’s no dominant rookie EDGE or LBer so it could be Smith. No rookie DB has posted his stat line through the first six games of a season in a WHOLE season since 2020. Meaning he’s done more in six games than any other rookie DB has the past 4 seasons. He could certainly earn it if he keeps creating turnovers!
October 19th, 2024 at 1:49 pm
PSL Bob…I believe.
October 19th, 2024 at 2:38 pm
Kid has got the potential for greatness, has the stat line to be noticed and plays a variety of different roles for this defense. Who’s in the running Joe? If not Smith then who? I mean it’s week 7 so I think it’s pretty early for this kind of talk but the dude belongs in the conversation. He’s definitely a great draft pick by ring of honor inductee JL and that front office. Let’s see him in competition against one of the top offenses in the league on Monday and then we can talk
October 19th, 2024 at 2:57 pm
And to think he makes one tenth of what dean is paid. If I were smith I’d wonder just what his team expects to be paid, because using dean as a proxy, it’s not based on performance, clearly.
If this team paid according to performance, dean would be delegated to beanies and weenies….
October 19th, 2024 at 2:58 pm
It would be nice to be able to use an extra safety instead of Britt.
October 19th, 2024 at 4:44 pm
It’s still too early to tag the kid with greatness, but I think we’ve all liked what we’ve seen so far. To be labeled as a standout rookie playing, in what many believe to be the most difficult position to play in the NFL, is quite the accomplishment.
If he keeps it up, Licht has found another once of gold in a silver mine.
October 19th, 2024 at 5:10 pm
A little early but a big positive.
October 19th, 2024 at 11:02 pm
Name another candidate.
October 20th, 2024 at 8:45 am
He’s to inconsistent, he played terrible in the Atlanta game but when Tykee is on he’s great. He is very promising and hopefully he plays lights out Monday night
October 20th, 2024 at 8:50 am
Let’s see what he can do against the 🐦⬛ the niners and some of the other better teams.
October 20th, 2024 at 10:35 am
He’s on no one’s radar because he plays for us and he only plays in the slot. I’d settle for that kind of play against the saints over that award.