The safety position has quickly become one of the more overlooked positions in the NFL. Teams now build up their defenses through the trenches before attempting to add to their secondary anymore. Not too long ago in NFL history, it was playmaking safeties that tilted the scales in so many games.
However, some teams still find value in the position of their defensive schemes. Teams like the Bucs have made it a point to have two strong safeties in place, and they have that right now in Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith. One-half of their starting group was recently honored by PFF when they ranked the top 32 safeties in the NFL.
It should come as no surprise that the safety mentioned was Antoine Winfield Jr. What may be surprising is that they looked past the injury issues he has had and ranked him sixth overall at the position.
They write, “Following an underwhelming 2024 campaign, Winfield responded nicely with a 74.4 overall PFF grade last season. His 4.2% missed tackle rate was the second-lowest among qualified safeties, and his 74.3 PFF coverage grade placed in the 92nd percentile. The second-most valuable safety by WAR since he was drafted in 2020, Winfield remains a weapon for Todd Bowles in Tampa Bay.”
The Bucs and their fans know how special Winfield is. They saw it from him in his rookie season when he helped them secure a Super Bowl and every season since.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Where does Bucs’ Antoine Winfield rank among safeties in the NFL?
Reporting by Andrew Harbaugh, Buccaneers Wire / Bucs Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Andrew Harbaugh, Buccaneers Wire | USA TODAY Network
