S Ryan Neal listed as potential breakout player for Bucs in 2023
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have quite a few solid defensive pieces, but could one of their standouts in 2023 come from free agency?
PFF’s Zoltan Buday released a list of potential breakout candidates for every NFL team in 2023, and his selection for Tampa Bay was newly acquired safety Ryan Neal. Neal recently had a breakout year himself in Seattle in relief of Jamal Adams in 2022.
Here is what Buday wrote about Neal:
Neal started the 2022 season as a backup for the Seahawks but became a starter due to Jamal Adams’s injury and poor performances from Josh Jones. He was PFF’s highest-graded safety (91.1) between Week 7 and 15, and he finished as the seventh highest-graded safety in the league over the whole campaign. Projected to start from Week 1 in the Bucs’ defense, Neal has a chance to be among the league’s top safeties by the end of the season.
Neal performed admirably in 2022. He netted 25 solo tackles, two forced fumbles and one interception last season, and he also had eight passes defended. If he plays like he did in 2022 this upcoming season, he and S Antoine Winfield could be a deadly duo for opposing offenses.
