The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to be looking for someone to step up in the absence of Lavonte David in 2026 and beyond. Since his retirement, there is now a leadership gap, but even the future Hall of Fame linebacker has mentioned he sees some folks already poised to step up. One of the players that David has mentioned in the past is safety Tykee Smith.
Despite just entering his third year in the NFL, he has emerged as someone who can lead this team into it's next chapter. This week, Smith spoke to the media and highlighted why that was a good choice by David to include him. He shared some influence that David left on him, explaining, "Since I got here, I think he played a big part in my success that I had early on.
I think the biggest thing I learned was how to be a pro (and) how to go about it day-to-day. Watching him and how he handled everything, how he prepared for the game. … I feel like there would be sometimes he knew what play was about to come before it happens. Him taking me under (his) wing was a real blessing my first two years.”Video: Bucs safety Tykee Smith talks about the influence Lavonte David had on him in his first two years in Tampa. pic.twitter.com/9QSlOBqI8A— Greg Auman (@gregauman) April 20, 2026Smith seems to be an old soul in how quickly he has become a leader in the locker room.
David was known as a leader and someone who could identify what an offense was throwing at them. Now, in retirement, he may still be proving to be good at reading not just offenses but the room as well. This is Tykee Smith's moment to capture. This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Lavonte David has left his impact on the Bucs in 2026