Antoine Winfield Gets No. 7 Safety Ranking From Coaches & Front Office Types
July 10th, 2025
Antoine Winfield, Jr.
So league executives, coaches and scouts are willing to look past Antoine Winfield, Jr. missing half of last season and playing the other half like a middling starting safety took over his body.
Joe was somewhat comforted to learn that.
It’s that time of July, when Jeremy Fowler of ESPN dumps results from his annual survey of NFL coaches, front office suits and scouts. He asks roughly 70 of them to rank the best 10 players at every position. They vote anonymously, and offer commentary if they’re so moved.
Safeties are today’s position, and Winfield got the No. 7 slot after being named tops in the league a year ago.
7. Antoine Winfield Jr.
Winfield’s lack of splash in 2024 was noticeable, especially coming off an all-world performance the previous season that earned him a four-year, $84 million contract extension.
Injuries held Winfield to nine games, and he never got in a rhythm of disrupting the football. He finished the season with zero interceptions, 3 pass deflections, 2 sacks and zero forced fumbles. That was a big drop from 2023, when he recorded 6 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries and 3 interceptions.
“He plays just like his dad [former NFL cornerback Antoine Winfield], great tackler, always around the ball,” an NFL coordinator said. “But with his size mixed with that physicality, you worry about his durability, and that showed up last year.”
Voters are largely willing to give Winfield a pass for last year. After all, he is still in his prime.
Joe’s willing to give Winfield a pass, too. But Joe is a little skeptical that Winfield can return to his All-World form of 2023.
Derwin James (Chargers) took the No. 6 ranking and Budda Baker (Cardinals) is at No. 8. Bucs killer Jessie Bates (Falcons) is No. 4.
July 10th, 2025 at 9:00 am
Yet Buddha Baker was the one who went to the Pro bowl in 2023. Total joke.
Didn’t look at his stats from last season at all, but I’m guessing he’s living off of his past a bit
July 10th, 2025 at 9:19 am
I hope Winfield can stay healthy this season
July 10th, 2025 at 9:26 am
He is paid as safety #1… lets hope he plays better in 2025.
July 10th, 2025 at 9:43 am
I think he’ll be back.
July 10th, 2025 at 9:46 am
The least of our problems.
July 10th, 2025 at 10:25 am
he just needs a bounce back year to shut up the critics…
he was basically number 1 for a year or so before the big contract…
let’s see if he bounces back…a lot of eyes are on him this year…
by season’s end we will know if he’s a dude or a dud…
we’re all pulling for AWJ…LFG
July 10th, 2025 at 10:27 am
Winfield missed 14 games in his first 5 years.
Dean missed 13 games in his first 5 years.
All together now … ‘Dean’s fragile & needs to go’.
BTW, Jordan Whitehead missed 11 games in his 5 years with us. He missed ZERO games in his 2 years with the Jets. Hmmm, seems like our Secondary takes a beating.
July 10th, 2025 at 11:44 am
Defense Rules,
Rondae Barber never missed a game in 15 years
July 10th, 2025 at 11:56 am
@Defense:
they say in the warm florida weather hammy’s become like rubber bands…
and in the cold new york weather they become like timing belts on a 69 charger…
okay fine……………..i’m making this sh!t up as i go! 🙂
July 10th, 2025 at 1:11 pm
I think the lack of a consistent pass rush made Winfield look worse than he actually was last year. The lack of a fast interior linebacker not named David didn’t help either.
July 10th, 2025 at 1:19 pm
Lakeland Buc … And that’s one of the key reasons that Ronde’s in the HOF … unparalleled availability.
Derrick Brooks is another ‘old-timer’ who never missed a game … 224 games in 14 years. No wonder our defense excelled back in those days.
July 10th, 2025 at 1:52 pm
D.R.
I take your point about Winfield and Dean but one of them is a fearless hitter the other does NOT throw his body around with wreckless abandon. Dean’s game would be perfect for the Olympics but in the NFL.
Having said that when BOTH of them are playing as you call it complementary football, Dean’s coverage skills backed up by Winfields hitting…BTW the other CB Zyon is also a fearless hitter but he sometimes screws up by trying to hard for the knockout instead of just getting the stop, it works out well.
But let’s have fun with the stats…just for fun because we all know what’s said about them.
You’ve included the proper sample set to include the OVERALL numbers but the reality is that half of AW’s misses came in ONE of those five seasons with another two seasons where he missed 4 each but then two where he missed none.
Dean OTOH has yet to play a full season and his career in college was largely held back and even forced a transfer because of injury.
And so the question would be is missing a half dozen games every year for five for example a total of 30 better than missing 30 in two years?
I respect Deans talent. When his head is on straight and he’s focused he’s very good. I just don’t think he has any “dog” in him. He’s far from a fearless hitter WHEN he does hit, and you just get the feeling that he’s not the guy to play through any injuries while AW may have messed up in the other direction by trying to play when he wasn’t really healthy.
Bottom line where I think we agree…the Bucs are fortunate to have BOTH of them on the roster this year. Lets’ all keep fingers crossed about their health.
July 10th, 2025 at 2:16 pm
Can’t play some coverage schemes without good, or at least decent play from safeties.
I suspect that’s why so much cover 3 last year.
Our corners and HC catch most of the flac for “soft coverage” but pass rush and the back end greatly effect the overall pass defense just as much as the corners. All 3 levels have to work together for a defense to be successful.
Lfg Bucs
July 10th, 2025 at 2:52 pm
GG
“Our corners and HC catch most of the flac for “soft coverage” but pass rush and the back end greatly effect the overall pass defense just as much as the corners. All 3 levels have to work together for a defense to be successful.”
AMEN!!!
As Gomer used to say Shazaam! It amazes me that some of our Gomers haven’t yet figured that out! But you’ve correctly diagnosed the “motivation” of some those posters so we’ll let sleeping trolls lie today.
July 10th, 2025 at 5:01 pm
Kumbaya.
July 10th, 2025 at 5:06 pm
@stpete
Good to see you posting again brother…. Hope you’ve been well 🙏🏼
July 10th, 2025 at 5:42 pm
Dean vs AWJ’s durability is a point of emphasis, imo & my posts. Dean averages 13.67 gpy to AWJ’s 13.6, but he doesn’t have the shiny splash-super-random-n-anomolous goaline strip plays so he is trade bait.
I believe the frailty of our secondary is a function of Todd’s scheme. Instead of a legit edge rush, smaller DBs are expected to generate rush. Todd’s secondary across the board is often injured (see 2024, Davis….), and may be why they make up over 20% of the final roster every yr
Also, I would hope AWJ averaged more tackles than Dean and likewise Dean have a higher PD average and both are true and relative to position.
July 10th, 2025 at 5:46 pm
Is he still the highest paid DB in the NFL?
July 10th, 2025 at 7:02 pm
GG
Thanks! Yes things are going very well. But as a fellow Floridian now you realize the relatives love you!
My sister and three female cousins spent a week with us. Sounds kind of tough but it was spectacular.
I know I’m bragging but my female relatives are the very best. 4 ladies made due in one bedroom with a double bed and a pull out double sofa and most impressively ONE bathroom for FOUR ladies. I take my showers around 5 AM so I didn’t have to worry about hot water LOL.
My late mother moved to Cape Coral with my late Stepfather many decades ago.
She didn’t last more than two years because then Florida was a bit of a novelty and they had an endless stream of family guests that expected to be entertained.
Now virtually all of my family have multiple relatives and friends here so that’s no longer an issue. I generally only host family a couple times a year.
July 10th, 2025 at 7:25 pm
Doesn’t sound kind of tough to me at all stpetebucsfan. I’ll bet it was spectacular!