The 2024 NFL Draft is getting close, making it an excellent time to highlight some of the class' best players with scouting reports. Each report will include strengths, weaknesses and background information.
Here's our report on Tykee Smith.
Smith was the nickel slot corner in Georgia’s defense in 2023, but a detailed evaluation of his tape strongly suggests he would not project or transition to the NFL in that role. Smith is not a higher-level athlete in regard to quickness and suddenness. His game was built more on physicality and competitive toughness than athleticism and movement.
In Georgia’s defense he was not asked to play many snaps of man coverage in Cover-1 schemes. Smith played with a physical edge to his game which showed up as a run defender and blitzer. He would best transition to the next level as a dime safety, aligned in the box, playing predominantly zone coverage concepts or matching up to the tight end in man coverage concepts. Though that could be a question versus the better quality tight ends in the NFL.
Smith may not have the athletic and coverage traits to match up man-to-man in Cover-1 with quality NFL slot receivers. And while he was a strong coverage defender in Georgia’s 2-man scheme, it is not likely he can line up and play man coverage in the NFL where the vertical dimension is part of the route concept. While Smith was deployed in multiple alignments in the Georgia defense the question in projecting his transition to the next level is what is he and how can he best be used.
Based on his 2023 tape, he is not a true slot corner. This puts him in the safety category and there are athletic limitations there as well. Smith will likely transition best as a sub-defense hybrid who plays underneath coverage in zone, matches tight ends man-to-man at times, depending on the TE, and as a blitzer.
Smith began his college career at West Virginia, playing three years and earning some All-American recognition in his final season there in 2021. He then transferred to Georgia to play his final two seasons, finishing his college career with an outstanding season in 2023.
Smith played the STAR position in the Georgia defense which is essentially nickel corner. Almost 70 percent of Smith’s snaps in 2023 came in the slot. There were snaps where he was deployed as a blitzer off the edge and there were Cover-2 snaps in which Smith was a deep-half field safety. Though he was predominantly the middle hole defender in Cover-2, Georgia played significant snaps of 2 -man coverage on third and long. Smith did an excellent job undercutting, tailgating and making plays on the ball. His interception versus Vanderbilt is a good example.
Georgia's defensive coaching staff knew Smith’s coverage limitations and he did not match up man-to-man on quality slot receivers. Georgia played a higher percentage of zone coverage (a lot of 2-shell) and their predominant man coverage concept was 2-man. There were many third-down snaps in which Smith was not on the field.
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