Bucs Want Tykee Smith “More Conditioned”
April 3rd, 2025
Not every rookie is truly NFL-ready.
There’s a lot to learn and a lot to endure. And some rookies overtrain to prepare for the NFL Scouting Combine and end up partially gassed during the rigors of the long — and longer than college — NFL season.
Was 2024 Bucs rookie Tykee Smith in that boat? It seems that way after listening to head coach Todd Bowles this week.
Joe’s not knocking Smith. The young nickel cornerback/safety led the Bucs in forced turnovers last season — 3 fumbles and 2 interceptions — despite missing four games due to injuries and sickness. He’s a playmaker on a defense that needs more of them.
But Smith did appear to hit a rookie wall, through Joe’s lens, and Bowles wants to see his treasured 2024 third-round draft pick dive deeper into his physical preparation. That’s what the head coach said this week at the annual NFC Coaches breakfast, where Joe went heavy on the scrambled eggs and fruit.
“Coming back, just being a rookie it’s kind of tough to go through a year like that, and go through 17 games plus playoff game and preseason,” Bowles said of Smith. “That’s a lot of games. So hopefully he comes back more conditioned for the NFL season and I think he’ll be fine. From a confidence standpoint, we feel like we can put him anywhere.”
Smith’s sophomore season could represent a nice lift for the embattled Bucs secondary. But there’s no greater X factor back there than Antoine Winfield, Jr.
If he can return to his All-Pro form, then the Bucs are going to be a much better team.
April 3rd, 2025 at 1:04 pm
DO NOT “FIX” things by moving Tykee to safety. He was solid last year covering the slot receiver. One of the only secondary members that was solid. Jamel Dean was an embarrassment, Winfield Jr basically nonexistent, and Zion McCollum ,in truth, was pretty mediocre notwithstanding what his fan club has said on these pages. Whitehead is gone and that is a relief.
April 3rd, 2025 at 1:25 pm
well, i’d think to see t.smith stay in the slot bc he plays from that position…but izien was great in the slot as well…both provide depth and position flexibility…
i trust bowles….
GO BUCS!!!!
April 3rd, 2025 at 1:29 pm
We NEED safety help badly. The position group was a disaster last year and a big reason our pass d was trash. We need Tykee on the field as much as possible – and safety is his natural position.
April 3rd, 2025 at 1:40 pm
The combination of Smith at safety and Izien at nickel corner gives us better players on the field than any other combination. We seem to keep having to design our defensive plays around the weaknesses at safety, would be nice if that wasn’t the case anymore
April 3rd, 2025 at 3:18 pm
Beeej is right if we don’t draft a safety.
We probably will.
Gipper, serious over-stating.
Dean add some solid games but wasn’t there when we needed him. Best ability is availability.
Of course Winfield was not existent, he was pretty much injured for the year. Never close to 100%… same as Hall. Who knows how hot will he could have been.
McCollum may not have been a shutdown corner but he was pretty consistent. Him getting beat deep wasn’t something that happened often
We got torched mostly in short and intermediate routes that kept a chains moving. A better pass rush will help everything but so fresh talent all through the defense will be extremely helpful, from depth to a starter or two.
April 3rd, 2025 at 4:17 pm
I’d venture to say that ALL rookies need to be better-prepared physically if they expect to progress in their 2nd year. You’ve got to be as close as possible to 100% if you expect to contribute on the field, regardless of how talented you are.
Look at Winfield from last season. Extremely talented, but even when he played he didn’t look to be anyplace close to 100%. And it showed. Nine games played in which he got in less than half of the 1100 def snaps he logged in 2023.
April 3rd, 2025 at 4:23 pm
Dream draft. Trade back a few. Pick up extra 3rd. Then draft best safety in first. Hopefully Starks then CB Revel in 2nd. ILB Stutsman or Knight for the first 3rd round pick. Then best Edge available for other 3rd pick. I would be a happy buc fan. Cheers.
April 3rd, 2025 at 4:25 pm
Then round it out with best DT in fourth then best OL in fifth. BPA in 7th. We don’t have 6th round this year correct?
April 3rd, 2025 at 4:30 pm
KABucs,
If you think I am overstating how bad the secondary was the last couple of years, go re-watch each of the 2024 ATL games. The Bucs looked like they were playing flag football. You don’t get to be one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL without some very poor players. Like the idea of stepping up QB pass pressure but need a centerfielder like Emmanwori to be an anchor/disrupter. He is clearly one of the top defenders in this draft. Because SAFETY, for whatever dumb reason, isn’t valued as highly as other defense position players, Bucs have a shot at drafting a Troy Polumeu type player. The other guy, Starks, isn’t as good as Emmanwori although he is a nice player as well. Just feel that Emmanwori is more versatile and will eventually play linebacker.
April 3rd, 2025 at 10:52 pm
I’m with Gipper on this one. Our secondary as a Whole Absolutely ranked at the Bottom of a LONG pecking order. And THAT’S a Fact.
I also prefer Emmanwori over Starks. Yet as Gipper suggested, Starks is also a high level guy. And yet he’s not in Emmanwori’s league
April 3rd, 2025 at 11:04 pm
tykee was probably our best rookie thru the first half of the season…then in like the 3rd quarter of the season he hit the rook wall with injuries, couple games missed, and seemingly a concrete handball court was dropped in his path…lol…
then bucky became our most influential rookie in the 2nd half of the season…
shout out to jmac as well, down the home stretch he sorta was a sleeping giant
April 4th, 2025 at 3:59 am
I like Emmanwori and Starks more than any corner not named Will Johnson, who still needs to run fast to live up to his first round billing.
Jahdae is a slot corner and not worth a 1st. I think we all like Ezeiruka and Green.
Then there is Graham, Grant and Nolen and Stewart, who I think will play DT eventually.
That’s 7 defensive guys I would be happy with.
Throw in Carter, Hunter, Williams and Walker who will probably be gone early, and that’s 11 defensive guys that have great value.
Throw in all the offensive guys and we easily get 1.
Now when you pose the question, do you trade back, or have to choose between Emmanwori, Ezeiruka and Stewart for example.
April 4th, 2025 at 4:08 am
Why are we always moving people around? Scouts should have known this dude wouldn’t want to play nickel even though that’s where Bowles wants him.
His body type is geared for nickel – Starks is best at Free – Emmanwori, Watts, Winston Jr, Sanker, are all better than what’s on the roster behind Winfield Jr
Barron would also be a killer nickel at 19