The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense was one of the worst in the NFL last season despite a few standout performers, and their issues on the defensive side of the ball proved costly, playing the main role in the Bucs collapse as they missed out on the playoffs entirely despite being branded Super Bowl contenders in the first half of the campaign.
This offseason, the Buccaneers took a two pronged approach to upgrading their defense. They landed a few proven starters in free agency to add more veteran guile and nastiness to the unit, and then they landed three immediate starters to the defense in the draft, with no player being as important as first round draft choice Rueben Bain Jr. off the edge.
But the success or failure of the Buccaneers defense in the 2026 NFL regular season will hinge on a few key characters breaking out or reaching even greater heights. And one player Buccaneers fans have earmarked but whom the rest of the NFL is sleeping on is strong safety Tykee Smith.
Tykee Smith is a top safety in the making
On a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive unit that was mired in defensive ill discipline and awful tackling, Smith was one of the elite safeties in the league in run support and at tackling players over the middle. Though Antoine Winfield Jr. is the bigger name and made the Pro Bowl as the Bucs starting free safety, Smith was actually the better player of the two.
What is most remarkable is that Smith, per a report from Joe Bucs Fan, did that and was one of the Bucs biggest breakout players despite being injured. Apparently the 25 year old safety was so hurt at one point that he could not raise his arm above his shoulder, dealing with a worse injury than anyone thought at the time.
So if Smith could make 100 tackles and 13 passes defended in his second ever NFL season despite pushing through immense pain, then imagine what he can do as a third year pro with a significantly better front seven helping him out, more experience, and better health on a personal level.
Tykee Smith is not a household name around the NFL, but he was a Defensive Rookie of the Year sleeper in his first season and one of the best strong safeties in the league last season when looking at the numbers and the film. As a third year pro with no injury issues, Smith could be a top 10 safety.
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