We conclude the defensive side of the team with the safeties.
The defensive side of our Buccaneers quarter century team wraps up with the safeties. Let’s dive right into it.
Free Safety
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First team: Antoine Winfield, Jr.
The Bucs came away with Tristan Wirfs AND Antoine Winfield, Jr. in top 50 picks of 2020 NFL Draft – let Jason Licht cook.
Winfield’s role on defense was nearly as critical as Wirfs’s was on offense. The son of NFL legend Antoine Winfield Sr., the junior Winfield stepped in and immediately became a full-season starter, forming a strong trio with Mike Edwards and Jordan Whitehead.
He made a huge impact throughout the 2020 playoff run, starting three of the four games and logging 18 total tackles, 2 passes defensed, 1 interception, and 1 forced fumble – and one very iconic peace sign.
His play continued to ascend in the years following, including a Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro nod. In 68 starts, Winfield has collected 444 tackles (20 for loss), 17 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, 9 fumble recoveries, and 7 interceptions.
The 27-year-old dealt with a litany of injuries in 2024, but early reports from training camp indicate a reinvigorated Winfield heading into 2025. He should continue to cement his Bucs legacy.
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Second team: Dexter Jackson
Another safety serving a key role in a Super Bowl victory, Dexter Jackson didn’t enjoy as long of a Bucs tenure but still made a prominent impact in his time.
Originally a fourth rounder in 1999, Jackson played as a backup for two seasons before being a quality starter in 2001 and 2002. He helped solidify the backend of the secondary alongside Hall of Famer John Lynch, and Jackson’s two early interceptions in Super Bowl 37 cemented him MVP honors for the game.
He left the team in 2003 but returned shortly after for 2004-05 to provide additional help before finishing his career in Cincinnati.
In six seasons and 73 games for Tampa (42 starts), he logged 251 total tackles, 8 interceptions, 19 passes defensed, 3 forced fumbles, and 3.5 sacks.
Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images
Honorable mention: Tanard Jackson
Tanard Jackson could’ve been Tampa’s next great safety but continually self-sabotaged en route to essentially earning a lifetime ban from the NFL.
Drafted in 2007, Jackson immediately made an impact as a rookie by earning a full-time starting role in Monte Kiffin’s defense – no easy feat. He proceeded to play well the following season but started running into trouble thereafter with drug-related suspensions. Truncated 2010-11 seasons eventually resulted in his indefinite ban.
In five years, Jackson started every game he played (56) and tallied 239 tackles, 10 interceptions (2 pick-6s), 5 forced fumbles, and 6 fumble recoveries. His talent for ranging the backend of the defense and creating plays seemed special, but we can only imagine what he could’ve been.
Strong Safety
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First team: John Lynch
Was there really any doubt?
Lynch dominated well before the turn of the century as one of the founders of the Bucs’ turnaround, but he continued his excellent play well into the 2000s. The hard-hitting enforcer punished offenses on behalf of Tampa for four seasons, accumulating three straight Pro Bowls and All-Pro nods (1 first-team, 2 second-team) in that time frame.
Someone who could play coverage well but lived for his role as a run-game wrecker in the box, Lynch relished that role on the field while being a reliable captain off of it. Under his tutelage (and of course with his continued production), the Bucs defense became one of the greatest of all-time. In 2002, he tallied 64 total tackles, 9 passes defensed, and 3 interceptions.
The Bucs declined to keep him around after 2003, which was a shame considering he played well in his final four years with the Denver Broncos (four Pro Bowls). However, 11 years with the Bucs helped earn him a place in history as a Hall of Famer in 2021 and the Bucs Ring of Honor in 2016.
In 164 games (132 starts), Lynch totaled 788 tackles, 23 interceptions, 42 passes defensed, 7 forced fumbles, 8 fumble recoveries, and 6 sacks.
Photo by Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Second team: Jermaine Phillips
Drafted as a rookie in 2002, Phillips played as a backup before partly replacing Dexter Jackson the following year and fully taking over for Lynch in 2004.
Phillips maintained a similar mean streak to Lynch, as he took pleasure in delivering crushing hits and offering some playmaking skill – often at the detriment of his own health. Nevertheless, he provided good play when he was on the field until 2009 when his body could no longer handle the beating that being a strong safety inflicts.
He played only one full season, but Phillips still contributed 74 starts over 8 seasons and recorded 425 total tackles, 11 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles, and 5 fumble recoveries. “Flip” may never be an all-time franchise great, but he played a powerful, forceful style that provided some memorable plays.
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Honorable mention: Jordan Whitehead
Whitehead came in with modest expectations as a fourth-round pick in 2018 but immediately asserted himself by starting 11 games and absolutely hammering people – far outplaying his smaller 5-10, sub-200 pound frame.
He carried on as a starter the following three years, delivering highlight reel hits and serving a vital role in the battery alongside Winfield Jr. and Mike Edwards. Whitehead showed out well during the 2020 Super Bowl run, particularly in the NFC Championship Game when he forced two critical fumbles.
He departed for the Jets for a couple seasons before returning to Tampa in 2024, but injuries largely derailed the reunion, and ones sustained in a car accident may have even cost him his career.
In 67 starts, Whitehead compiled 371 tackles, 28 passes defensed, 5 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries.