4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If safeties received more tenable consideration for Defensive Player of the Year, Antoine Winfield Jr. may have been an easy choice for the award in '23. Since entering the league, Winfield Jr. has been a thorn in the side of quarterbacks, pass catchers, and opposing offensive coordinators alike. And somehow, he has only continued to get better.
Winfield Jr. does a little bit of everything for Tampa Bay, including blitzing, playing near the line of scrimmage, covering over the top, and forcing turnovers. All told, his play makes him arguably the best safety that the Chiefs will see on the 2024 schedule.
The depth may not be as strong around him. But with a coach like Todd Bowles, you have to bet on the Buccaneers being a feisty, fiery group each week. Cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Jordan Whitehead are a pair of veterans who can offer poised, sound play for Bowles. Dean can win in man coverage with his dense build and soft hands at the catch point. Meanwhile, Whitehead is someone who rarely gets lost in space and knows the Tampa Bay defense inside and out.
It will be a fascinating test to see how names like Zyon McCollum and Christian Izien perform after the Bucs traded away Carlton Davis this offseason. Nonetheless, this is a group that still boasts adequate depth and a stingy defensive scheme to help make those younger pieces feel more comfortable. The Tampa Bay secondary is easily a sneaky one on the Kansas City schedule.