The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made it a priority this offseason to bolster their secondary. They did just that by adding seven players, including Shilo Sanders as an undrafted free agent. Sanders is looking to make the roster and contribute to a revamped secondary.
All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. spoke about the first impression Sanders has left on him.

Antoine Winfield Jr. Speaks About Shilo Sanders
Winfield praised Sanders’ work ethic during OTAs. Winfield knows what it’s like to enter the league with a famous last name and the pressure that comes with it. Sanders has impressed Winfield with his approach, and Winfield made sure to share that with the media.
“He plays hard, he works hard,” Winfield said of Sanders. You know, he really wants to learn, and he just wants to improve his game. And so, that’s something that you admire from somebody coming in who wants to learn and actually play this game.”
Here’s S Antoine Winfield Jr. on Shilo Sanders (after Shilo asked him to say he was Winfield’s favorite rookie before his presser). Mentions he’s a great kid and knows what it’s like to have a dad who played at the pro level. pic.twitter.com/QlCmfL4hYg
— River Wells (@riverhwells) June 3, 2025
In the NFL, players have to earn their roles, especially undrafted free agents. Sanders has his work cut out for him but is ready to make his presence felt in the Tampa Bay organization. Being willing to learn is an important attribute and will leave a good impression, as it did with Winfield.
Sanders will be looking to work his way up the depth chart to eventually be the safety partner to Winfield. In a crowded secondary, Sanders will have to overtake several players to be an active contributor for the Bucs’ defense in his first NFL season.
Tampa Bay’s New Secondary Acquisitions
Tampa Bay added new options in the secondary. Cornerback was a hole the Buccaneers needed to fill with depth. They signed free agents Bryce Hall and Kindle Vildor to strengthen that position. They also drafted Benjamin Morrison from Notre Dame in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft and Jacob Parrish from Kansas State in the third round.
The Buccaneers weren’t satisfied with just those four corners. They added three undrafted free agents in the secondary — one corner and two safeties, including Sanders.
The secondary struggled for much of the 2024 season and hurt the team overall. They will need significant improvement if Tampa Bay wants to make a playoff run in 2025. The Buccaneers struggled against high-powered offenses, and the secondary was largely responsible.
Even with an All-Pro safety in Winfield and veteran cornerback Jamel Dean, the secondary as a whole was inexperienced and showed growing pains throughout the year. It improved toward the end of the season but still held the team back against the best competition.
There should be improvement with the addition of veteran corners and highly talented draft picks early in the draft. With an improved secondary and the skilled offense behind Baker Mayfield, the Buccaneers could be poised to make some noise this season.