PFF Believes Tampa Bay Has One of the Top 2 Defensive Backs in the NFL

The NFL's highest paid defensive back has plenty of believers outside of Tampa.

Jan 9, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (31) recovers the ball the ball against the Carolina Panthers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to make their free agent safety the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL, some eyebrows were raised.

Not because Antoine Winfield Jr. doesn’t deserve to be the highest-paid safety in the NFL. He certainly does. But because cornerback is traditionally one of the most expensive positions in the sport. Meanwhile, Winfield Jr.'s deal was richer than any contract ever given to a cornerback (or safety) in NFL history.

Winfield Jr.'s rise throughout his young career has been astronomical. The former second-round pick was crucial during the team’s playoff run in 2020, and his performance helped the team secure their second-ever Lombardi Trophy in his rookie season. Talk about starting things off with a bang. 

In the years since that debut campaign, he’s been named to the Pro-Bowl (2021), and this past season he earned All-Pro honors (first team) after putting together a ridiculous season that included 122 total tackles, 3 interceptions, 6 sacks, 6 forced fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries. Not to mention several game saving plays in key moments to help the Buccaneers’ secure their spot in the postseason. 

His performance in 2023 helped him secure the aforementioned contract, which will pay him $84.1 million over four years. But chances are, anyone who raised their eyebrows at that deal wasn’t aware of just how dominant he’s been for the Buccaneers.

Pro Football Focus was certainly aware. On Sunday, PFF tweeted a graphic of the top defensive backs in the NFL. Antoine Winfield Jr. was ranked second on the list. 

The top defensive backs in the NFL, per the PFF50 🔒 pic.twitter.com/h3BoW4j5AB

— PFF (@PFF) July 21, 2024

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Here’s what PFF had to say in a separate article highlighting Winfield Jr.’s performance last season, which saw him finish 2023 with a grade of 90.7. 

“[Winfield] finished the year ranking in the top three in run-defense grade (91.5), pass-rushing grade (92.7) and tackling grade (87.0). He also placed eighth in coverage grade (84.0).”

“Winfield faced 44 targets in coverage and forced nine incompletions at a 20.9% clip. He broke up eight passes (second most) and picked off three others. The Minnesota product gave up only 74 yards in man coverage and recorded a league-high 41.2% forced incompletion rate on third- and fourth-down plays.”

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Ultimately, Buccaneers’ GM Jason Licht and his team don’t need external validation for their decision to pay Antoine Winfield Jr. so handsomely. They have their own models, their own data, and their own priorities when it comes to deciding how much money a player is worth. 

That said, it’s always nice to see that the premier NFL data and analytics website agrees that Antoine Winfield Jr. isn’t just a top safety, but a top-2 defensive back in the NFL. This ranking also supports Tampa Bay’s belief that he’ll be worth every penny of this new contract.

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