The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continued to add depth and build the roster through the draft by adding two critical pieces in the third round.
Safety Tykee Smith is from Georgia, and wide receiver Jalen McMillian is from Washington.
Smith is expected to compete for a starting position in the secondary immediately. He can play both safety and nickel. Smith talked about playing a dual role in the Buccaneers secondary: “When coach and I talked, he said he could see me playing safety or nickel. If I play safety then, obviously, I get an opportunity to learn from Antoine Winfield which would be a blessing. The impact he has on the game, I definitely can’t wait to get around him and see the type of player he is and learn under him.”
There is no question that the Bucs are expecting big things from Smith this season. He had a breakout season at Georgia in 2023, leading the Bulldogs with 70 tackles, 8.5 tackles for losses, and four interceptions. He played the nickel at Georgia and is expected to compete for the nickel cornerback spot in the Buccaneers defense.
There will be stiff competition for this spot as the Bucs made some free agency acquisitions to bolster the secondary.
Christien Izien started in the nickel role last season and played more snaps than any Buccaneer rookie (780 snaps.) He had two interceptions in his rookie campaign with 65 tackles and two forced fumbles.
CB Tavierre Thomas was signed as a free agent and will be in the mix with Smith and Christian Izien for the starting nickel role.
Wide receiver Jalen McMillian, a former high school track star, brings his speed and versatility to the Buccaneer wide receiver room. He will be an excellent addition to the corp receiving group of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Trey Palmer.
He is excited to join one of the NFL’s best receiver rooms. “I’ve been watching those guys for God knows how long. And just to be able to be in the same offense as them and to learn from them, I’m going to take in everything I need to take in and follow in their footsteps.”
The Buccaneers feel they got a steal in the third round as McMillian missed four games with a strained ligament hurting his draft status.
His best season at Washington was 2022 when he had 79 catches for 1,098 yards and nine touchdowns—the Bucs plan to use McMillian both in the slot and outside.
Physically, McMillian can step in and play, but how quickly he can learn the playbook will determine how much playing time he gets.
Todd Bowles said, “Physically he can step in and play football but there’s a lot more to the game than that.”
McMillian is confident that he has the goods to be an impact player for the Bucs and someone the fans will come to appreciate. “I love it. I feel like I’ve been doing that my whole life, just playing up and having to meet expectations. I’m excited to put on a show for y’all.”
Outside of Raachad White and Chase Edmonds, the Buccaneers had minimal production from the running backs.
The Bucs hope they have rectified that problem by drafting running back Bucky Irving from Oregon in the fourth round.
Irving is small by running back standards, standing 5 feet 9 and weighing 195 pounds. But that size didn’t stop him from having back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at Oregon.
The Bucs like versatility in their players, and Irving covers that as he is an excellent pass catcher. In his last two seasons with the Ducks, he caught 87 passes for 712 yards and five touchdowns.
Irving is expected to take some of the load from Raachad White, who has watched White and admired him from afar. “I used to watch Rachaad White highlights. Just being able to come in and learn from a guy like him, I think it’ll be great to just come in and pick his brain on how he translated from college to the NFL. I’m trying to win football games. We’re trying to be that dynamic 1-2 punch, so let’s get it rolling.”
Irving rushed for 1,180 yards and nine touchdowns last season while catching 56 passes, the most in college football by a running back.
Buccaneers AGM Jon Spytek said that despite his size and lack of perceived speed, Irving gains yards on the ground. “People focus on the size, and the speed is 4.56. It’s not elite, but it’s not slow. But all he does is get yards, he scores touchdowns, and he’s hard to get down in space. He’s just another player that defenses have to focus on and figure out.