During a recent media availability, Bucs safety Tykee Smith talked about what his goals are going into year three with Tampa Bay. And he made it clear that he wants to play faster in space. When he was asked what he thought he did well in 2025 and where he could improve this year, he noted now that he understands the deep safety position better, he can play faster.

“I think me playing more full speed this year,” Smith said. “With me going into my second year being back there, being in more space when I played more down to the line of scrimmage my rookie year. So, [for] me just being better in space this year. I think I had some really good moments in being able to defend the run, cover some tight ends. The biggest thing is improving [with] just me getting better in space.”

Smith started his Bucs career as the team’s nickelback as a rookie in 2024. At the University of Georgia, Smith played the Star safety, which is a nickel/safety hybrid, and played it well. He posted 98 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, four interceptions and a forced fumble for the Bulldogs in Kirby Smart’s sophisticated defensive scheme.

That set the table for Smith to have success in the slot during his rookie season in Tampa Bay, as he tied for the lead in both interceptions (two) and forced fumbles (three), in addition to making 54 tackles, four tackles for loss and breaking up seven passes. The former third-round pick moved to safety last year, replacing Jordan Whitehead, where he notched 100 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, two fumble recoveries, one interception and 13 pass breakups.

Bucs SS Tykee Smith – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Tykee Smith’s Transition To Bucs Safety

Tykee Smith played more snaps as a single high free safety in Todd Bowles’ Cover 1 and Cover 3 schemes in 2025 than any other year of his college or professional career. In fact, he played seven times as many snaps as a deep safety as he did the previous six seasons combined.

• 2025 – 390
• 2024 – 4
• 2023 – 18
• 2022 – 4
• 2021 – 1
• 2020 – 10
• 2019 – 19

In some ways, 2025 was a rookie season for Smith, as he was essentially learning a new position. He burst onto the scene as a rookie, playing the nickel for the Bucs. That’s where he spent the majority of his time in college at West Virginia and Georgia. That positional familiarity helped ease his transition to the NFL, as he created several takeaways while playing with a level of instincts and speed that was truly impressive for a rookie.

But moving back to free safety rather than playing underneath as a nickel in the slot or as a strong safety in the box requires a different understanding of the field. Deep safeties have to take in more information and react to multiple keys. That was always going to take some time for Smith to download, process and internalize. It also meant growing pains last year.

Smith allowed four more yards per target in 2025 than he did his rookie year. The big touchdown against that Theo Wease scored for the Dolphins late in the season was due to a poor angle Smith took in Cover 2.

But it wasn’t all bad for Smith. He allowed two fewer touchdowns (three) than he did as a rookie (five). And Smith noted in his comments that he thought he had some really good moments last year defending the run and covering tight ends. He isn’t wrong.

But the thing that made Smith special – and yes, I think he was special as a slot defender – were his instincts at that specific position. Two plays come to mind for me.

In the 2024 preseason Smith showed phenomenal awareness against the Bengals, falling off his flat zone assignment to get vertical and break up a pass into the end zone. He had no business being in that position, but he felt the conflict route developing behind him and knew it was how the offense was trying to attack the Bucs defense.

Just a few short weeks later he did the same thing against the Lions in the regular season, once again working to the leverage point in QQH (quarter, quarter, half), otherwise known as Cover 6.

If Smith can find that same level of mental processing playing single high safety or even deep safety in Cover 2, Cover 6 or Quarters, that he showed in the slot and closer to the line of scrimmage, then he can truly play faster. If that occurs then there is a legitimately higher ceiling for Smith in Tampa Bay in 2026.