The Tampa Bay Buccaneers started the second day of their 2020 NFL Draft by selecting Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr., adding another playmaking defender to their young and talented secondary.
The Buccaneers used the 45th-overall pick to land Winfield, who tied a school record in 2019 with seven interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. Winfield was the Big Ten's Defensive Back of the year and a unanimous first-team All-America selection in his junior campaign. He also boasts NFL bloodlines; his father, Antoine Winfield, Sr., was the 23rd-overall pick in the 1992 draft and a longtime standout cornerback who played 14 seasons for Buffalo and Minnesota and made a pair of Pro Bowls.
The 5-10, 205-pound Winfield played four seasons at Minnesota, though his 2017 and 2018 campaigns were cut short by injury. He still finished with 177 career tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks, nine interceptions, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, a blocked field goal and three touchdowns – two pick-sixes and a punt return score.
