Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. made an immediate impact as a rookie in 2020. He was a major part of Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl-winning defense, starting his career off in the best way possible. Then, he followed up that debut season with a Pro Bowl year in 2021. And with that, in just two years, he has established himself as one of the NFL’s top safeties.

As part of its ongoing positional rankings series, ESPN listed out its Top 10 safeties last week. The list, based on a survey of more than 50 league executives, coaches, scouts and players, ranked Winfield at No. 9 heading into 2022. His highest ranking was No. 3, while his lowest was outside the top 10.

Here’s what Jeremy Fowler wrote about the soon-to-be 24-year-old safety:

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

Winfield has emerged as a prime player in his first two seasons, earning several top-five votes from personnel who love his combination of toughness and range. As one NFC exec said, he might not be “special” yet, but he is tracking for that status. “[Winfield] was really, really good [last year],” the exec said.

Winfield did a little bit of everything, recording two sacks, two interceptions, three fumbles recovered and 88 tackles on his way to the Pro Bowl. In pass coverage, Winfield allowed 5.8 yards per target when he was the nearest defender, tied for 12th among safeties (per NFL Next Gen Stats).

“His [5-foot-9] size might hurt him a bit, but that’s really the only thing with him,” an AFC scout said. “He’s good against the pass, and he can support the run. Good instincts.”

An NFL coordinator added, “He’s got really good spatial awareness, and he can cover from the slot.”

Winfield Has A Case For ‘Special’ Status Already, But He Can Cement It This Year

It’s interesting to read that an anonymous NFC executive said that Winfield isn’t “special” yet. Because in many ways, he really is. He’s your prototypical do-it-all safety. And as the anonymous AFC scout said, his size is the only real knock on him. On that front, anyone who has seen him play knows his size doesn’t impede much of what he’s able to do on the field. He can cover, track the ball, catch the ball, defend against the run and blitz the quarterback extremely well. He has been challenged to bring in more interceptions this year, which could help elevate him to the next level.

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield, Jr. and Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill – Photo by: USA Today

Over two seasons, he has 182 tackles (126 solo), five tackles for loss, five sacks, seven quarterback hits, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, three interceptions and 12 passes defended. His presence in the Bucs’ secondary is extremely important. It’s his versatility that has Tampa Bay in a good spot with the position heading into the new season, even without Jordan Whitehead.

So, what’s keeping Winfield from being widely considered as a “special” or “elite” safety? It’s something as simple as time. He’s only two seasons into his career, so his overall body of work might not line up with the game’s top safeties just yet. That’s part of what makes 2022 so important for him. With another season like we saw in both 2020 and 2021, he likely reaches that upper-echelon status. And in terms of earning a second contract with the Bucs, Winfield should be in position to do that this year as well. The team has to already be thinking ahead with the third-year safety, as it’s unlikely that the decision-makers will want 2023 to be a contract year for the 2020 second-round pick.

So, for as good as Winfield has been through the first two seasons of his NFL career, the best really may be on its way. And that’s the fun part.