The weakest link on an impressive Bucs’ defense last season was the safety position, which never recovered from the loss of Justin Evans to injury. Jordan Whitehead struggled as a versatile chess piece for Todd Bowles’ unit, while Andrew Adams and Mike Edwards gave up their fair share of big plays in the passing game.

The trio will undoubtedly make strides in 2020, but there is still plenty of room for rookie Antoine Winfield to crack the starting lineup. Even on the first padded practice of Bucs’ training camp Winfield stood out, getting some reps with the first team defense at multiple safety spots.

“He’s a very, very intelligent player,” Arians said. “It’s not too big for him. He’ll be competing for a starting job quickly.”

Arians has had nothing but positive things to say about Winfield, mentioning his intelligence and pro-ready understanding of the game hailing from his experience in the Minnesota Golden Gophers’ defense as a college player.

Winfield was one of my top-ranked players in the 2020 class, snagging seven interceptions last year after battling injuries early in his time at Minnesota. Even without any preseason games, I’d be shocked if Winfield wasn’t in the starting lineup for Week 1 against the Saints. And if he’s the team’s designated third safety, his versatility suggests he’ll see the field early and often, playing close to a full workload. Expect to see a lot of Winfield in 2020.