NFL Execs, Coaches and Players Name Antoine Winfield Jr. NFL's Best Safety

The rest of the league has taken notice of just how special Buccaneers' safety Antoine Winfield Jr. really is.

Feb 7, 2021; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers strong safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (31) taunts Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports / Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Antoine Winfield Jr. had a season for the ages in 2023.

That being said, you can't judge a player off of one season. The entire body of work needs to be considered when evaluating the NFL's best players, regardless of position.

Thankfully for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Antoine Winfield Jr. has been an elite defender at the back of their defense since the moment he first arrived in Tampa back in 2020. If he wasn't, there's a pretty good chance the team wouldn't have concluded their season (his first) by hoisting the Lombardi Trophy on their home turf at Raymond James Stadium.

But he did perform that season. And so did the team. And all Winfield Jr. has done since that debut campaign is continue to make plays for his team, which is a big reason why Bucs' GM, Jason Lichtrewarded Antoine with the biggest contract ever given to a defensive back earlier this offseason.

Every year at this point of the offseason, ESPN polls NFL players, coaches, and executives, in order to rank the best players at each position group. And based on the results of the most recent poll, which ranked the NFL's best safeties, the rest of the league agrees that the Buccaneers' young safety is deserving of the big payday he just received.

Antoine Winfield Jr. was ranked as the NFL's No. 1 safety according to the poll, and here's what the analysis had to say.

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"Winfield had a season for the ages in 2023. He recorded six sacks, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and three interceptions. His 27.9% ball hawk rate was the fourth highest among defensive players targeted at least 30 times. He probably should have been higher than No. 6 in the Defensive Player of the Year voting."

"The Bucs unlocked Winfield by playing him more in the post in 2023 — he was primarily a nickelback the previous season. He had more opportunities as a single-high defender to take throws away with his instincts, range and creating turnovers," an NFC executive said. "He was already excellent in run support and as a blitzer, so it was the perfect combination."

It's worth mentioning that despite his incredible performance last season, Winfield inexplicably wasn't voted into the Pro-Bowl. More importantly though, he was honored as a First Team All-Pro for his efforts, which is a significantly more credible acknowledgement of his performance on the field.

The analysis provided does a good job of highlighting the positional change we saw from Winfield Jr. in 2023 compared to the year prior. Winfield Jr.'s impact on the game (and box score) was limited when he was relegated to playing closer to the line of scrimmage as a nickel defender. Sliding him back to the safety position, which Bowles did last season, allowed Winfield to take advantage of his abilities by flying around, generating splash plays, and surprising offensive protections when he did enter the box as a blitzer, or otherwise.

Everyone in Tampa Bay already knows how special Antoine Winfield Jr. is. But it's nice to see that his peers, whether that be fellow players, opposing coaches, or front-office executives, see him in a similar light. Being ranked as the NFL's best safety at just 25 years old is a feather in the cap for Antoine Winfield Jr., a player who, despite his incredible list of achievements, may still have his best years in front of him.

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