Winfield picked up his All-Pro status by compiling 122 tackles, six sacks, a league-leading six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, three interceptions and 12 pass defenses. In his four seasons with Tampa Bay, Winfield has amassed 384 tackles, 27 pass defenses, 11 forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries.
Just reading his traditional statistics it’s easy to point to Winfield as one of the best safeties in the NFL. Predictably, Winfield’s case holds up when diving in on advanced metrics as well.
He was the No. 1 safety and No. 2 defensive back last season in “Total Points Saved,” via Sports Info Solutions. Only Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland ranked ahead of Winfield, by one point, and Bland had five touchdowns off nine interceptions. That Winfield nearly topped Bland displays the prowess of the Tampa Bay safety. — Larry Holder, senior NFL writer