Whether the Bucs move on from safety Jordan Whitehead or not, there is a good chance the team looks to bring in additional talent at safety. Similar to last year, the safety market is shaping up to be a deep one. The top names are likely not going to make it to market. Jevon Holland, Camryn Bynum and Trevon Moehrig are all likely to sign healthy extensions with their current teams.

Just because the top of the market may be lacking options does not mean that there aren’t quality players to be found. Many might hope that the Bucs take a splashy approach to every need this offseason. Sign/trade for a premier edge rusher as well as taking big swings in free agency for a cornerback and a linebacker.

But if you look at the Super Bowl winning Eagles, you’ll notice they transformed their defense, not by bringing in premier free agents across the board. Instead, they looked at strategic moves that complimented their draft and develop roster. No one was heralding the Zack Baun signing. He ended up being one of several difference-makers for the Eagles. Bucs fans should relate as one of the most consequential signings in team history was a $5 million transaction for Shaq Barrett.

Now I’m not advocating for under-the-radar additions across the board, but a good mix of the two is an agreeable approach. That’s the aim for profiles like Tyrel Dodson. And today’s look at safety Jason Pinnock.

Jason Pinnock

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan and Giants S Jason Pinnock – Photo by: USA Today

Pinnock was selected by the Jets in the 5th round of the 2021 NFL Draft. After playing corner in college at Pittsburgh the Giants converted him to safety. He played sparingly in his rookie season as well as the first half of his second season. But an injury to Xavier McKinney late in the 2022 season led to Pinnock getting an extended look as a starter. He played well enough to enter 2023 as the starter opposite McKinney.

That season would prove to be his best. He generated 10 pressures on just 40 pass rushes and gave up just 248 passing yards when targeted over 547 coverage snaps. That season he was used as a chess piece with 12% of his snaps coming from the slot, 16% coming from the box and 64% coming from up top.

2024 was a much more difficult road to hoe for Pinnock. His snap counts looked similar to the year prior by pre snap alignment, but under new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen was spinning the post-snap coverage leaving Pinnock as the single-high, top-down defender. This didn’t play to his strengths, and he struggled in his last season in Gotham.

Strengths

Pinnock is a linearly explosive athlete who is most effective when he can impact a play inside of 12 yards. That means he will be at his best spinning down into the box as a robber/hole defender or working into the flat as a sky defender. And he’s proven to be an effective pass rusher as a blitzer. It’s no coincidence that he was at his best playing next to a premier do-it-all player in McKinney. With the Bucs he would have a similar opportunity playing next to Antoine Winfield Jr.

The Bucs lacked consistent pass rush from their second-level defenders. Pinnock would help improve that. With a career pressure rate of 27% and 6.5 sacks in the last three seasons, he has plenty of ability at affecting the play behind the line of scrimmage. Pinnock is also affective running deep halves or quarters where he can pinch routes at the stem and keep his eyes in the backfield to read and react to the quarterback.

Weaknesses

Safety Jason Pinnock – Photo by: USA Today

Pinnock has stiff hips that prevent him from changing direction and working across two planes at the same time. This leaves him susceptible to getting caught out of position and late on short-to-mid out breaking routes. He can also struggle in man coverage against athletic tight ends working across the field on digs and crosses.

On the whole, Pinnock brings a desirable skillset that can work well in Bucs head coach Todd Bowles’ defensive scheme. His quick downhill burst, savvy paths to the quarterback, functional athleticism and solid run defense make for an intriguing buy-low candidate that could raise the floor of the depth at safety for the Bucs. And Pinnock has enough juice and experience to challenge for a starting role next to Antonie Winfield Jr. or play a situational role as a dime backer.

He won’t cost much, allowing the Bucs to sink additional resources into other positions. I have his APY estimate at $3.25 million, and I doubt him and his representation will be looking for a long-term deal. Instead, my bet is that they are looking to re-establish value, trying to get him back to his 2023 level of play in a system that will cater to his strengths. And the Bucs can provide that system.