NFL is clearly talking out of both sides of its mouth when it comes to Antoine Winfield Jr.'s current reputation

Antoine Winfield Jr. is ready to reclaim his spot as the NFL's best safety after injuries forced him into a disappointing 2024 season.

And he just received even more motivation to do so thanks to ESPN's latest safety rankings.

ESPN comes out with these rankings every year and they're an accumulation of votes from NFL executives, coaches, and scouts. Last year, Winfield Jr. rightfully found himself at the top of the pile after a season where he earned a first-team All-Pro nod and was in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year.

This year, he fell to seventh and while a fall was expected, the combined logic behind the fall and the reason why this year's new No. 1 in Kyle Hamilton is the top safety doesn't make sense and is, frankly, hypocritical.

NFL execs, coaches, and scouts said the main reason for Winfield Jr.'s fall is due to the lack of splash plays, which is understandable. Especially when they add in the important context surrounding the injuries he dealt with last year.

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. . .

. . . Voters are largely willing to give Winfield a pass for last year. After all, he is still in his prime. - Jeremy Fowler, ESPN

So here's where the funny stuff comes in: The analysis on Hamilton specifically states even he saw a major drop in splash plays last year. He played nearly double the amount of snaps Winfield Jr. played, yet only recorded one interception, nine pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and 2.0 sacks. 

Winfield Jr. didn't record a pick or a forced fumble for the first time in his career, but still had a 58-yard fumble recovery returned for a touchdown, three pass breakups and 2.0 sacks in the limited time he played. The gap in splash plays isn't that big, especially when considering the amount of playing time for each guy.

It gets even better, though. The article then goes on to say the reason why Hamilton is No. 1 is because of his value, which is totally legit and fine. However, the definition of Hamilton's value is versatility across the defense. The fact he can basically line up at every position except nose tackle or defensive end makes him an elite weapon that any defense would love to have.

His value transcends numbers.

"All-around best player: Size instincts, production, blitz ability," an NFL personnel director said. . .

. . . Hamilton's 14.5% ball-hawking rate is decent but unspectacular, coming on 76 targets. But he can line up all over the field, from free safety to "star" linebacker. He played 200 snaps in 2024 "from the slot" as an overhang defender. - Jeremy Fowler, ESPN

Well, that's the exact same role Winfield Jr. has for the Bucs in terms of what he does across the board and it's why he was so damn good in 2023. Even in a down year due to injury including limited playing time, Winfield Jr. still recorded snaps at:

• Right/left outside linebacker
• Right/left inside linebacker
• Nickel
• Right/left outside corner
• Strong Safety
• Free Safety

In 2023, he played 155 snaps "from the slot as an overhang defender". Everywhere you look, it doesn't make sense for Winfield Jr. to fall this far and Hamilton to be No. 1 with this logic. You can have one or the other, but not both.

There's also the fact the national media just absolutely adores the Ravens on a yearly basis. I'm not taking anything away from that - it's easy to see why. It can lead to some inflation, so to speak, when it comes to their analysis is all I'm saying.

This isn't anything about the rankings themselves. Hamilton is a damn good safety and Winfield Jr. is simply a victim of the year-to-year variance that naturally comes with the NFL. The problem is the reason behind the rankings and it's perfect fodder for this time of year.

Either way, if Winfield Jr. can get back to his 2023 level of play, the Bucs defense will take a big step forward from what we saw in 2024. That's certainly reasonable to say.