Sophomore Surge: Will Antoine Winfield Jr. Make a Big Jump in Year Two?

Winfield Jr. started his rookie season off strong and finished on a high note too, but will he improve in coverage entering his second season in Tampa Bay?

There's no question that safety Antoine Winfield Jr. is likely a star in the making, but will his second season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers be the one that pushes him over the edge?

Winfield Jr. debuted his rookie campaign with a strong start last September being named the Defensive Rookie of the Month. In the first three games in 2002, Winfield Jr. recorded 23 tackles, two sacks, one tackle for loss, three quarterback hits, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble.

Winfield Jr. later picked off Las Vegas Raiders' quarterback Derek Carr in Week 7 and in the following week secured the win over the New York Giants breaking up a two-point conversion pass that would have tied the game with less than a minute left.

However, after those two big plays and his September to remember, he cooled off the rest of the regular season in the big playmaking department. Winfield Jr. heated back up again in the postseason recording 18 tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception, two pass breakups, and a forced fumbles over three games.

While he missed the NFC Championship due to an ankle injury suffered in practice, Winfield Jr. made up for it in Super Bowl LV against the Kansas City Chiefs. The rookie safety totaled six tackles, one interception, and one pass breakup.

According to Pro Football Focus, Winfield Jr. was on the field for 61 coverage snaps. With Winfield Jr. in coverage, receivers were targeted 2 times and had 0 catches. The rookie allowed a 0.0 passer rating, according to PFF.

So the question must be asked, how will Winfield Jr. step up in year two? Perhaps he will make a jump in coverage throughout the entire season for Tampa Bay.

While he intercepted one pass last season and broke up a handful of others, Winfield was responsible for allowing seven "explosive plays" in coverage this past season, which was tied for the most among free safeties, according to PFF.

Where he may lack as a defender in pass coverage, Winfield Jr. makes up for it in run-defense. As a matter of fact, he was one of the best safeties, regardless of NFL experience, defending the run during his rookie season. Winfield’s 86.3 run-defense grade ranks second-best at his position, according to PFF.

If Winfield Jr. can continue to create big plays for the Bucs and become more consistent in coverage similar to his rush defense, he could be a Pro Bowl pick next year or even be an alternate. It's going to happen sooner rather than later for him.

Winfield Jr. checked in at No. 12 on PFF's Top 25 rookies for the 2020 NFL season, while his teammate Tristian Wirfs was inside the top five. It's clear the Bucs made two great picks during last year's draft and these two will continue to only get better.

Overall, Winfield Jr. made it clear during his rookie season he has the pieces to become a well-known name in the league, similar to his father. Watching Winfield Jr.'s development in his second season as a pro will be interesting to watch as he leads a relatively young safety group in Tampa Bay.

RELATED: Sophomore Surge: Can Buccaneers OT Tristan Wirfs Become an All-Pro in 2021?