Bucs Gameday

Young Buc Among NFL's Most Underrated

Despite a superb first two seasons in the NFL, Antoine Winfield Jr. is still not getting the credit he deserves.

Collin Haalboom

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are flush with talent. That's no secret. 

Not anymore, anyway. 

Ever since the arrival of Tom Brady, the trickle-down effect of his presence (and the wins that inevitably accompanied it) has changed the way that Buccaneers players are perceived around the league. 

READ MORE: Jordan Whitehead 'Frustrated' in Last Year with Buccaneers

Lavonte David, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin are just a few of the Bucs who have made the transition from "underrated" players to household names. It's not like each of these players just started playing better once Brady took the reins — it's that they finally started to receive the attention they deserved. 

In addition to the presence of Brady, the Buccaneers' improved winning percentage since he arrived, and of course their victory in Super Bowl 55 — a massive spike in nationally televised primetime games has certainly helped to shine more light on the team's more unheralded players. All of these factors are undoubtedly intertwined.

Since the franchise recently regained relevancy, it's become harder for some of the Buccaneers' prized possessions to fly under the radar. 

So despite the fact that many Tampa Bay Buccaneers players are finally being recognized league-wide for their high level of skill and production, Doug Farrar (NFL Editor for TouchdownWire of USA Today) believes one of the team's younger players still isn't getting the recognition that is warranted based on his performance on the field.

In his recent article, The NFL's most underrated defensive players, Farrar identifies Antoine Winfield Jr. as one of the best deep safeties in the NFL. 

"In 2021, Winfield gave up 29 passes on 38 targets for 269 yards, 137 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, two interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 73.2. Perhaps more importantly, he showed the skills to be that rarest of all birds on a defense — the shutdown deep-third defender."

And while we're on the topic of underrated performers, Doug Farrar remains underrated himself. At least as far as NFL media coverage goes. He's been putting out high quality, in-depth and unbiased analysis of NFL players and draft prospects for many years. 

READ MORE: How Tom Brady Stacks Up Against Other NFL Quarterbacks

So although Bucs fans don't need much affirmation as it relates to Antoine Winfield's status as a great player in the league, it certainly doesn't hurt to know that despite coming off a Pro Bowl appearance in 2021, and playing a huge role in the Bucs' acquisition of a Lombardi trophy the year prior, according to Doug Farrar, he still isn't being valued enough. 

Winfield's unique combination of strength, instincts, ball skills, versatility and football IQ is a huge reason why he's experienced so much success, so early in his career. The fact he's accomplished so much, in such a small amount of time in the league, yet still gets acknowledged for being "underrated", tells you all you need to know about what the future has in store for Antoine Winfield Jr. 

For more of Collin Haalboom's coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, be sure to check out the Bucs Banter podcast! 

 

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Collin Haalboom
COLLIN HAALBOOM

Prior to joining BucsGameday and Sports Illustrated, Collin's written content was provided through Bucs Banter, and NFL Draft Lounge. He is also the creator and host of the Bucs Banter Podcast. He is a graduate of the Communication Studies program at McMaster University, where he was also a varsity basketball player, and later an advanced scout. He lives with his wife and two children in Hamilton, ON. You can follow Collin on YouTube and Twitter.