Georgia Bulldogs DBs Have Caught The Bucs’ Eye

The Bucs met formally with three defensive backs from Georgia at the NFL Scouting Combine. Two were safeties in Tykee Smith and Javon Bullard, while the other was cornerback Kamari Lassiter. There’s every reason to like all defensive players coming out of Georgia due to their NFL readiness playing in Kirby Smart’s defense and their championship pedigree.

Last season the Georgia Bulldogs were close to a three-peat going 13-1 on the year with their only loss coming in a close, SEC Championship game against Alabama, 27-24. The Bulldogs quickly rebounded by decimating Florida State, 63-3, in the Orange Bowl.

Outside of of having a great program, the personal attachment between the Bucs and Georgia is that Bowles’ son, Troy, is set to start at inside linebacker for the Bulldogs. If any NFL coach is going to know the most about Georgia and their players it’s Bowles based on the family connection. Although he didn’t attend the Bulldogs pro day last week, he is planning on visiting Georgia next week to visit his son during spring football and get some intel on the school’s top draft prospects.

The Bucs could still add to their secondary through the draft in April despite signing strong safety Jordan Whitehead and cornerback Bryce Hall. The Bucs traded away starting cornerback Carlton Davis III and could use some more depth at cornerback behind starters Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum and the newly-signed Hall. Tampa Bay could also use another nickel cornerback to challenge Christian Izien this year, as well as better depth at safety.

Georgia Bulldogs DBs Share Experience Of Meeting With Bucs

Georgia safety Tykee Smith can do a little bit of everything on defense, much like how Antoine Winfield Jr. does for the Bucs. Playing both safety and in the slot, Smith recorded 70 tackles last season along with 8.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and four interceptions. He spoke about what it would mean to to play for the Bucs and how his formal interview went with head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles.

“Definitely would be amazing,” Smith said. “The interview I had with them went amazing, so definitely would be a pleasure to play for them and be in Tampa Bay.”

While each player met formally with the Bucs, not everybody met with Bowles. That was the case for Lassiter, but knowing Bowles’ son, he hopes to play for him one day.

“That’d be great,” Lassiter said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I never met Coach Bowles, but I know Troy. If Coach Bowles is anything like Troy, I know it’ll be an amazing opportunity.”

Bulldogs cornerback Kwami Lassiter did enjoy meeting with the Bucs’ assistant coaches.

“We had a great meeting,” he said. “We were able to just talk a lot of ball and they picked my brain, see what I’m like on and off the field.

Georgia safety Javon Bullard did get to meet with Bowles and reveled in the experience.

“It was amazing,” Bullard said.  “A dream come true. I’m like a kid at a candy store, I’m talking to head coaches, GMs, shaking hands with guys that I wouldn’t dream of seeing.”

When asked what Bullard and the Bucs talked about, Troy Bowles’ name came up once again, along with a lot of football discussion.

“Everything, his son – shout out my boy, Troy,” Bullard said. “Just everything, it was more so me showcasing my skillset, my mental abilities and my football IQ. Just them getting to know me off the field, as well as on. It was amazing.”

Lassiter, Smith and Bullard are all rated as mid-round draft picks and figure to be selected somewhere between the second and fourth rounds in late April.

Antoine Winfield Jr. Gets Looked Up To By Many Draft Prospect DBs

A common question that prospects get asked at the NFL Scouting Combine is what pro players they watch or try to model their games after. With Bucs free safety Antoine Winfield Jr. getting All-Pro honors this year it was no surprise that many defensive backs mentioned his name when it came to idolization and watching film. Georgia Bulldogs safeties Tykee Smith and Javon Bullard both mentioned Winfield and talked about him at length during their media interview session in Indianapolis.

“I was just talking about the guy, (he’s) one of the players I’ve definitely grown to love,” Bullard said. “The guy is not the biggest guy, not the fastest guy, but he’s a football player. At this level that’s all you want, you want a football player.

“The guy’s a football player, he’s an All-Pro safety. He plays the game so well, he’s one of the guys I look up to for sure and model my game after for sure.”