Bucs Safety Tops PFF List

The Bucs made Antoine Winfield Jr. the highest paid safety in the NFL this off-season. They did it for good reason too. Winfield had a prolific 2023 where he amassed 122 tackles, six sacks, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 12 passes defensed and three interceptions en route to an All-Pro nod. And on the back of that season more justification is coming in for Winfield’s contract.

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Pro Football Focus, in one of their latest positional ranking articles lists Winfield as the #1 safety in the NFL. Here is how the site justified their ranking.

“Winfield, who became the NFL’s highest-paid defensive back this offseason, was the highest-graded safety in the league last season (90.7). The 25-year-old’s 92.0 PFF overall grade over the past three seasons leads the position, and his run-defense and pass-rush grades rank first among safeties, too.”

Winfield moved up three spots on PFF’s annual list after ranking 4th on it this time last year.

Bucs Safety Can Do It All

Winfield is best known for being a roving top-down free safety. It is his best trait and what helps set him and the Bucs defense apart. In an age where so many defenses try to operate primarily from a two-high C2/C4 shell, Winfield’s ability to cover so much ground from a single-hi look gives head coach Todd Bowles free-range to keep seven, and sometimes even eight, defenders in the box.

This helps Bowles continually pummel opposing offenses with disguised and exotic blitz and sim pressure looks. Last year Winfield allowed just 0.64 yards per coverage rep in zone last year while ranking tied for 1st in forced incompletions (6) and tied for 7th in forced incompletion percentage (20%) among all qualifying safeties.

Beyond his abilities playing deep, Winfield can line up anywhere and still be a force. He played 93 snaps in the slot last year for the Bucs. Targeted just nine times, his targets per snap (10.3) ranked 7th among all safeties. The writeup referenced Winfield’s elite play as a run defender and a pass rush. But to add some additional context to those grades, he only missed 7.9% of his tackle attempts while registering 27 defensive stops and generated 20 pressures in just 64 pass rushes.

Winfield Receives Some Help In 2024

Former Bucs S Jordan Whitehead – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

What may be most impressive is that Winfield Jr. was able to do all of that despite working with a below average running mate in the defensive backfield. Free agent addition Ryan Neal was not the welcome addition the Bucs hoped they were getting after signing him late in the offseason coming off of an impressive 2022 campaign. Instead, Neal struggled in coverage, with his pursuit angles, and generally understanding Bowles’ defense. By the end of the season, he was regularly being substituted out for Zyon McCollum, Dee Delaney and Kaevon Merriweather.

Neal’s struggles often forced Winfield to have to do more and compensate to help the defense function properly. This year the Bucs are hoping they can take some of that off of their All-Pro’s plate by reuniting with former Buc Jordan Whitehead.

Whitehead, who played for Tampa Bay from 2018 to 2021, left via free agency and spent two seasons with the Jets. During his first stint with the Bucs Whitehead showed a strong grasp for the defense while operating as one of the best box safeties in the NFL. He expanded his skillset in New York by working in a two-hi scheme that showcased more of his zone coverage. That combination should help unlock even more in both safeties going forward. And after his historic 2023, it’s scary to think that Winfield may be able to elevate his game in 2024.