There is no question that Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. balled out in 2023 and was rewarded with a four-year contract worth $84 million deal this offseason that made him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history.

A season like the one Winfield had catapulted him up ESPN’s annual rankings of each position. After league executives, coaches, and scouts all weighed in on the safety position, it comes as little surprise that ‘Tweez’ was voted as the best safety in the NFL.

Antoine Winfield Jr. Ranked As Best Safety By NFL Execs, Coaches, And Scouts

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

After compiling the results of all their voters, this is what ESPN had to say about Antoine Winfield Jr.’s ranking.

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.”

Despite plenty of Bucs being underrated throughout their career for being among the best at their position, most notably inside linebacker Lavonte David and wide receiver Mike Evans, there is no denying just how dominant Winfield was in 2023.

After coming in tenth in the rankings going into last year, Winfield went from the bottom of the list to the top rather convincingly. Just in case you want a reminder, the Bucs posted a highlight video of his play which demonstrates the impact he had each game.

The NFC executive hit the nail on the head in mentioning how he was able to capitalize on moving back to safety, which allowed him to play with the range and freedom to roam the secondary and make plays, instead of being confined to playing nickelback which put more of a cap on his role.

He was the complete package and ultimate chess piece for head coach Todd Bowles’ defense, and he had a much stronger argument for the Defensive Player of the Year voting than one might think. While sacks are the more popular parameter for the award that often gives the advantage to the league’s top pass rushers, six sacks by a defensive back are no small feat. Combine that with his ability to make game-changing plays that saved the Bucs multiple times last season, and there is no denying how much value he provides for his position.

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield Jr. and OLB Markees Watts – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Despite what he did to solidify his status in 2023, Winfield is aiming to be even better in 2024. After putting the pen to paper on his new deal, he made it clear that he is excited to make more big plays and get takeaways.

“My goal every season is to [be] better than I was the previous season,” Winfield said back in May. “Like Coach [Nick] Rapone always says, ‘To much is given, much is expected.’ I know that coming in. I’m going to be better than I was before. I’m going to train harder than I was before.

“Something that is also big for me is just learning something new every single day because there is so much to learn in this sport and so many ways that I can improve my game. I’ve still got that fire in me, and I don’t see it going away at any time. I’m still going to be out here doing extra work and doing things like that. I’m just excited to be here.”

Bucs May Also Have Top Safety Duo Heading Into 2024

Bucs Ss Jordan Whitehead and Antoine Winfield, Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Not only do the Bucs have the best safety in Antoine Winfield Jr., but with Jordan Whitehead returning to the team this offseason, they have a strong case to have the best safety duo as well.

Whitehead is no slouch, and after having a career year with 97 total tackles and four interceptions with the Jets last season, he checks a lot of boxes of what the team wants from their other safety and serves as a major upgrade over his predecessor, Ryan Neal. Not only has he become more well-rounded in coverage, but his love for contact and physicality should mesh well on the backend.

That will make life even easier for Winfield as looks to put on an encore this season, which would truly make the Bucs’ safety room the most dangerous in the NFL.