So far, the 2022 season hasn’t been all that kind to the Bucs. They’re 4-5 at what is the new midway point now that the NFL schedule has been stretched to 18 weeks. And while Tampa Bay leads the NFC South, no one would argue that Todd Bowles’ first nine games as the team’s head coach have been successful.

However, there have still been some standout performers for the Bucs in the first half of the 2022 season. Look no further than the team’s representation on Pro Football Focus’ 2022 NFL Midseason All-Pro Team. Tampa Bay has two on the First Team, while two more were included as Second Team honorees.

Veteran, Rising Star Crack The First Team For Bucs

Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

For all of the talent they have on offense, the Bucs have only stayed afloat at 4-5 because of their defense. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay offense haven’t scored enough points all year, so it’s been up to Bowles’ defense to carry the weight more often than not. And while it’s been an up-and-down ride at times, that unit does feature some of the most consistent players on the roster.

One of those players is veteran linebacker Lavonte David, who was the first Buc to be named to PFF’s Midseason All-Pro First Team. He joined fellow veteran linebacker, Los Angeles’ Bobby Wagner, on the First Team. From Sam Monson’s writeup:

“Completing the ageless All-Pro linebacker duo is Lavonte David, who is still playing like the best coverage linebacker in the league at almost 33 years old. David has four pass breakups and has yet to allow a touchdown into his coverage across 42 targets.”

David came into the 2022 season looking as fast as ever after recovering from a foot injury that hampered him late last season. And while that hasn’t translated into the same playmaking prowess that everyone got so used to during the early years of his career, the 32-year-old has remained steady. He has 44 tackles, three pressures, two hurries, a sack and a forced fumble so far this season.

PFF credits him with just one missed tackle in 2022, and that was all the way back in Week 4. He has an 88.2 coverage grade this season, which is borderline elite. Though Monson says he hasn’t allowed a touchdown in coverage this season, he was credited by the site with allowing one back in that Week 4 loss to the Chiefs. Nonetheless, he’s been very good all over the board for the Bucs. If he can tap back into those vintage playmaking skills down the stretch, David could very well have this Tampa Bay defense doing some damage.

Bucs DB Antoine Winfield, Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Joining David on PFF’s Midseason All-Pro First Team is third-year defensive back Antoine Winfield Jr. Despite missing the last two and a half games with a concussion, Winfield deserves recognition for the first half he’s had. From Monson:

“Antoine Winfield Jr. does everything well. He currently has a PFF grade of at least 69.7 in every facet of play, including grades above 90.0 in run defense and on the blitz as a pass-rusher. He has one missed tackle all season while playing as a consistently positive force in the Bucs’ secondary.”

The 2020 second-round pick has spent time both at safety and at nickel cornerback in Bowles’ defense this season, and he’s arguably been the Bucs’ best player all year. He has 31 tackles, three sacks, five pressures, two hurries, an interception and a forced fumble in seven games.

Winfield has an 83.6 defensive grade this season, making him the second-highest-graded Buc. His 90.1 run defense grade is elite, while his 89.8 tackling and 93.4 pass-rushing grades are the best among all safeties in the NFL. The sooner Tampa Bay can get him back in the lineup, the better it’ll be for the defense.

Two Second-Teamers Positioning Themselves Well For Second Contracts

While David and Winfield were the only Bucs named to PFF’s Midseason All-Pro First Team, they weren’t the only ones in the conversation. A couple of Tampa Bay players showed up on the Second Team, beginning with right tackle Tristan Wirfs. According to Monson, it was a close call between Wirfs and Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson:

“Lane Johnson against Tristan Wirfs at right tackle is an incredibly difficult battle to decide. Both players have been excellent, but Wirfs has been pass blocking for a quarterback with the fastest average time to throw in the NFL, while Johnson has been doing it for the seventh-slowest. Johnson hasn’t allowed a sack or a hit all season.”

Wirfs, quite frankly, is having another ridiculous season. He has just a 0.7% pressure rate allowed and hasn’t allowed a sack in 416 pass-blocking snaps.

Wirfs is PFF’s highest-graded Buc so far this season, as he has an 84.1 over the first nine games. The team picking up his fifth-year option for 2024 is a lock at this point, and at this rate, he’ll play his way into a massive second contract. He has legitimate Hall of Fame potential, and he’s only two and a half seasons into his career.

Bucs CB Jamel Dean – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The other Bucs Second Teamer is playing his way into a nice payday at the end of this season. Through the first nine games of his contract year, cornerback Jamel Dean has been nothing short of phenomenal. There’s an argument to be made that he has been Tampa Bay’s best and most consistent player this season, too. His 83.2 PFF grade is the second-highest on the team, and he boasts an 80.5 run defense grade, a 90.0 tackling grade and an 82.3 coverage grade.

Dean has allowed just a 48.6% catch rate this season and has given up just two touchdowns this season – both against the Packers in Week 3. He has two interceptions – both against the Saints in Week 2 – but has been a consistent bright spot in coverage for a Tampa Bay defense that has seen its share of injuries in the secondary this season.

Dean is one of three Bucs defensive backs in a contract year, with Sean Murphy-Bunting and Mike Edwards joining him. The 2019 third-round pick looks like the obvious pick of three to earn a nice second contract from Tampa Bay this offseason.