Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Projected starting defense for 2020
Safeties: Antoine Winfield Jr., Jordan Whitehead
This is another group where the Bucs are deep, as they could have as many as five safeties see a lot of playing time. In addition to the two starters listed above, Justin Evans, Mike Edwards and Andrew Adams will also see heavy roles in 2020. However, let’s break down the likely starters.
Antoine Winfield Jr. was arguably one of the 2020 draft’s biggest steals, falling to the Bucs’ choice at No. 45 in the second round. Although he missed parts of two seasons with the Golden Gophers after dealing with injuries, his health is the one major knock on him.
He was both a First-Team All-Big Ten and First-Team All-American during his final season in Minnesota, amassing 88 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles and seven interceptions. One of those picks was returned for a score.
Bleacher Report named him the most likely defender to lead rookies in interceptions in 2020, and he definitely has a nose for the football. After watching his father Antoine Winfield Sr. excel at a high level for so many years, it’s time for Winfield Jr. to make his mark in the league.
During his second season, Jordan Whitehead was another young defensive back who improved under Bowles. Although his total tackles went down last season, every other category went up, and he’s not afraid to use the hit stick on opposing players.
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He missed the last two games of 2019 with an injury, but still played well enough to likely secure one of the starting safety spots moving forward. He’ll look to have an even bigger third season in 2020.