The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made safety Antoine Winfield Jr. the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history last month, which wasn’t much of a surprise after his All-Pro season in 2023.
It’s also no surprise to see him ranked as the No. 2 safety in the league heading into the 2024 NFL season by Doug Farrar over at Touchdown Wire.
Here’s part of Farrar’s breakdown of Winfield:
In 2023, Winfield Jr. played 911 snaps at high safety, 226 in the box, and 203 in the slot. He had seven tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, 90 solo tackles, 27 stops, six sacks (the most for any safety in the league), and 20 total pressures. In coverage, he allowed 31 catches on 44 targets for 399 yards, 167 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, three interceptions, 10 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 85.3.
Winfield had to maximize his opportunities as a pass-rusher, and he certainly did that with his go-for-broke style, and awareness of how to beat blocks.
And if you want a safety who will make the most of any opportunity to take the ball away from an opponent and prevent big plays… well, not many do it better.
The No. 45 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft out of Minnesota, Winfield quickly established himself as one of the most dynamic defenders in the entire NFL, and now he’s being paid accordingly.
He’ll keep making big plays in Tampa Bay for years to come, and could end up on a Hall of Fame trajectory if he keeps playing at this level.
To check out Farrar’s full list, and see who he put at No. 1 ahead of Winfield, click here.
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