Ourlads' Profile:
2024 Guide: What Ourlads’ NFL Scouting Services said about TYKEE SMITH:
Georgia | HT: 5100 | WT: 202 | 40 time: 4.46 | Arm: 3158 | Hand: 0914 | Wing: 7434
Four-year starter. Transfer from West Virginia. First-team All-America in 2020, three-time All-SEC selection including second-team honors in 2023. Typically aligns as the nickel, but has also played safety. Possesses fringe height and solid weight with average arm length. Excellent physicality to knock receivers off their route. Uses quality athleticism to stay in-phase with receivers in man coverage. Solid hip fluidity and change-of-direction when receivers attack his leverage. Physical throughout the duration of the route. In zone coverage, he utilizes good mental processing while reading quarterback intentions, and reacts quickly to make plays on the ball. Great ball skills; considerable vision and instincts when tracking the ball, times his hands well to break up passes in the air, and will make interceptions when given the opportunity. A valuable piece in run support, and will make tackles in the box with his aggressive demeanor. Able to shed and stack against blocking receivers to show up in the running lane. His untechnical playstyle makes him prone to mistakes especially in man coverage. Adequate foot speed when carrying wide receivers vertical, has fallen out of phase quickly. Needs to key the hips in man coverage as he regularly is slow to adjust when the receiver breaks his route. Subpar closing speed to catch up when he falls out-of-phase. Opens his hips too early in catch-man on the stem and allows receivers to attack his leverage regularly. Stops his feet and lunges on tackle attempts in space too often. Provides little value as a blitzer as he regularly allows himself to get picked up with little difficulty.
2023 Stats: 70 T, 8.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 PBU, 2 QBH, 4 INT. OSR:8/20. Draft projection: 4th/5th round