The player most directly impacted by the Indianapolis Colts trade of DeForest Buckner is Adetomiwa Adebawore. The active, athletic defensive tackle figures to move into the starting lineup and play the type of role that Buckner has had for the past seven seasons. But another defensive tackle, Tim Smith, figures to be in line for a lot more action as well.
Smith was chosen out of Alabama in the sixth round of the 2025 draft and spent his first season on the practice squad. This year, he has been in the rotation on the defensive line, though his usage has been inconsistent and sporadic.
He has been on the field for roughly 14% of the Colts' defensive snaps and has been credited with just five tackles. Both of those numbers are expected to go up in the second half of the season.
Indianapolis Colts' Tim Smith looks to learn from Grover Stewart and then succeed him
Smith will not be taking snaps away from Adebawore, who should become a major contributor on the defensive front. His increased usage would come at the expense of veterans Grover Stewart and Jerry Tillery.
Smith looks and plays a lot like Stewart, who has manned the trenches for the Colts since 2017. Stewart has started 116 games, doing a lot of the dirty work in the middle of the field – tying up blockers and pressuring the pocket – that allows others to pile up numbers.
That figures to be Tim Smith’s role going forward.
Buckner is a tall, powerful lineman. At 6’7", he has the height of a classic defensive end. The only other interior lineman I know of at that height is Jacksonville’s Arik Armstead, who, like Buckner, began his career with San Francisco.
Buckner has the power to play inside, and he has used that height to constantly disrupt passing lanes. But Buckner tends to line up in the B gap or over the offensive tackle.
Grover Stewart has been the inside man in their tandem. He plays more often in the A gap, just off the center. It is also referred to as one-technique. And that is what Tim Smith does best.
Smith is a virtual physical clone of Stewart. Both players stand 6’4”, also on the tall side for an interior lineman. Both weigh in the 310-pound range. Stewart, at least in his prime, probably had a little better burst and raw power. Smith has a bit more length. But physically, there isn’t a lot of difference.
Of course, Grover Stewart has proven his value as a force in the middle of the field for the past decade, and Tim Smith has a grand total of five tackles in his NFL career. There is no guarantee that the second-year man will be able to play the way the veteran has.
Jerry Tillery, who has served as Stewart's primary backup this season, is 30 years old and on a low-cost, one-year deal. He may well stay in the rotation, but Tillery, who has a longer, leaner frame not unlike Buckner, may better fit into a three-technique scheme, splitting his snaps between the traditional roles of tackle and end.
Tim Smith is a one-technique tackle all the way. He is not an elite athlete, but he can fight in the middle. He can stand up against the run and push the pocket. He can do what Grover Stewart has done.
At least, I think he can. We don’t really know because he has not been given the chance with extended play. That should change now that the selloff has begun. There’s a decent chance that Grover Stewart could be traded as well, and were that to happen, Smith would vault up the depth chart.
Smith seemed to be on this trajectory a few weeks ago. He played 14 snaps – the most in his career – against Pittsburgh in Week 5. But the following week against Tennessee, he was a virtual no-show. He played more last week against the Vikings and acquitted himself pretty well.
The Colts released an unofficial depth chart this week. It had Tim Smith behind both Stewart and Tillery at nose tackle. So, at least according to the Colts' unofficial depth chart, Smith does not appear to be in line for increased playing time.
But that chart also listed Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner as starters, so I am not sure we should rely on statements from the Colts as they negotiate trades. The franchise changed dramatically on Tuesday, and those changes may well continue.
Tim Smith is part of that change and part of the Colts' future. Buckner and Stewart have been defensive anchors for a long time. For the remainder of 2026, Adebawore and Smith should get the opportunity to show whether they can be worthy successors.
Add us as a preferred source on Google