Rookie Safety Reminds Jordan Whitehead of Former Buccaneers Ballhawk

Rookie safety Tykee Smith has been impressing many during offseason workouts including veteran safety Jordan Whitehead.

Bucs Tykee Smith (23) courtesy of Tykee Smith Instagram /

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers emphasized adding depth and creating competition in the secondary this offseason.

With cornerback Zyon McCollum taking a big leap in year two, the team traded away veteran Carlton Davis to the Lions, netting them a third-round pick. The move paves the way for McCollum to take a step forward in his progression while opening up valuable cap space. Next, the team brought back a familiar face in Jordan Whitehead, followed by the signings of Tavierre Thomas and Whitehead's former Jets teammate Bryce Hall.

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The Bucs weren't done adding to the position, though. In the third round of the NFL Draft, they added another versatile piece to the secondary in Georgia defensive back Tykee Smith. In the short time he's been with the Buccaneers, Smith has already started turning heads, including garnering the attention of Whitehead.

“He came in and I watched the rookie minicamp on the iPad and I saw him have an interception and I hit him up, like that's how you drop in cover 3," Whitehead said. "It’s just little things that I just learned the year or the year before that he’s picked up already and that he knows and that's just coming out of college. It's early for him still but he's an athlete."

Smith was known for his playmaking ability in college and picked up right where he left off in offseason workouts. He totaled 10 total takeaways and five sacks during his collegiate career, including four interceptions his senior year at Georgia. Whitehead said watching Smith making plays on the ball reminds him of another former Buccaneer he played in the secondary.

"I joke about it a little bit and say that you remind me of Mike Edwards," Whitehead said. "Kind of just like the way he gets to the ball it's kind of like similar. Tykee is just someone I can't wait to see what he’ll be when we get the pads on and what he does. I know he’s going to hit something and I know he's going to be a ballhawk in this defense."

It's not just Smith's ability to make plays on the ball that has impressed Whitehead, it's also his quick grasp of a complicated defense run by head coach Todd Bowles. Because of that, Whitehead can't wait to see what the rookie can do when the pads come on.

"He’s grasping it quick," Whitehead said. "He's on it, he doesn't make mistakes, rarely any. Once he starts seeing the game film and once he starts seeing more of us and watching that stuff, it’s going to click even better for him. It's just walkthroughs and it's one thing learning with shorts and t-shirts on, the next step is just putting the pads on. After probably the first week of camp, he’ll have that knocked out."

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Smith has credited similarities in the Georgia defense he played in as to how he was able to pick up Bowles' defense so quickly. The Bucs have focused on drafting players with a high football IQ and are passionate about the game, and those are two boxes Smith checks off in droves. If he can continue making plays once training camp rolls around and the pads come on, the sky is the limit for the talented rookie.

You can follow JC Allen on Twitter @JCAllenNFL.

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