Facebook Pixel

Bucs All-Pro Antoine Winfield Jr. Breaks Silence on Shilo Sanders, Reveals First Impressions of the Rookie Safety

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.

Pro Football Network Mock Draft Simulator
Dive into Pro Football & Sports Network’s FREE Mock Draft Simulator and run a mock by yourself or with your friends!

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.”

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.

2026 NFL Mock Draft Simulator

The PFSN Mock Draft Simulator features hundreds of prospects, scouting reports, and free trades -- jump into the mock draft machine and get ready for the 2026 NFL Draft.

2026 NFL Draft Big Board Builder

PFSN’s free NFL Draft Big Board Builder allows you to rank every prospect in the NFL Draft and share it with the world.

2025 NFL Playoff Predictor

PFSN's 2025 NFL Season and Playoff Predictor is a tool that allows you to play out various weekly scenarios to see how the NFL playoff picture changes with each scenario.

NFL Offseason Manager

Do you think you can manage your favorite team’s roster better than the real-life general managers? PFN's Offseason Manager is here to help you prove it.

‘It’s a Risk’ — NFL Personnel Evaluator Makes Feelings Clear on Rams Replacing Cooper Kupp With Davante Adams

Breaking up is hard, but that's what the Los Angeles Rams did with one of their self-described "load-bearing walls" in wide receiver Cooper Kupp....

Chiefs WR Hollywood Brown Reveals His ‘Number 1 Goal’ for 2025 After Leaning on ‘Faith’ During Injury Recovery

Hollywood Brown spent most of the 2024 season watching his Kansas City Chiefs teammates light up the field from the sidelines. It was tough...

Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort Breaks Silence on Marvin Harrison Jr.’s Viral Jacked Physique Ahead of 2025 Season

Marvin Harrison Jr.’s impressive offseason transformation has the Cardinals and NFL fans buzzing as he prepares for a breakout 2025 season.

Chiefs’ Josh Simmons Makes Feelings Clear on ‘Jump’ From Ohio State to NFL, Recovery From Injury Ahead of Rookie Season

Chiefs OT Josh Simmons discussed his thoughts on jumping from Ohio State to the NFL and detailed his injury recovery ahead of his rookie year.
Join the Conversation!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here