The Bucs lastly signed the veteran defensive again they had been searching for in Ifeatu Melifonwu … effectively type of. Tampa Bay may use a veteran nook, and whereas Melifowu was a cornerback popping out of school, he’s now firmly a security within the NFL. That’s to not say the Bucs couldn’t use a security. Their present depth chart past starters Tykee Smith and Antoine Winfield Jr. begins with former undrafted free agent J.J. Roberts, who continues to be recovering from final yr’s knee surgical procedure and has but to play an everyday season NFL snap. So, Melifowu has an actual path to a roster spot.
Ifeatu Melifonwu
Ifeatu Melifonwu is a distinct sort of security than J.J. Roberts, exhibiting the 2 can coexist as backups. Every fills an archetypal position, with Roberts favoring a rangy free security whereas Melifonwu’s finest deployment is as a field security. At slightly below 6-foot-3 and 205 kilos, he’s the largest security of the bunch. And with that measurement he brings good straight-line athleticism.
After watching a number of video games and all of his targets and go rushes from 2025 there are some issues he does effectively, but when Melifonwu is pressed into service in 2026, Todd Bowles will have to be very cautious and particular in how he makes use of the previous third rounder.
Greatest Traits
Move Rush
Melifonwu’s finest reps are when he’s working downhill in direction of the quarterback. He was fifteenth in go rush win price (11.5%) and thirteenth in true go rush win price (15.4%) with an total strain price of 17.9% from Professional Soccer Focus final yr. And it’s for good purpose.
Melifonwu brings actual plus capacity as a go rusher. He combines velocity with a knack for locating area in gaps to get previous offensive linemen. His measurement can overwhelm some backs and he provides a little bit of bend when threatening from the sting. And there may be room for him to get higher at what he does finest. The lone ceiling for him proper now could be his penchant for slowing down late within the rep as he seemingly overthinks how he desires to complete in opposition to his blocker.
If the Bucs teaching employees can get him to decide to ending with confidence and decisiveness he will be one more in a protracted line of go speeding weapons head coach Todd Bowles can deploy.
Hit Stick
Melifonwu rotating down (#9 field-side security) to make the defensive cease on the shallow. Delivers a thump when he hits. pic.twitter.com/PlURfmnQaH
Man Protection In opposition to Tight Ends
In protection, Melifonwu finest deployed in man protection in opposition to tight ends or as a hook/curl defender who erases early seam home windows. When he rotates down from a deep half alignment, he rapidly takes away throwing choices and forces quarterbacks to rapidly transfer to secondary choices. And in man protection in opposition to larger eligibles like tight ends, he has the velocity and size to cap routes and make catches troublesome. This accounts for his lone interception final yr along with forcing Cade Otton to make a tricky catch when the Bucs performed the Dolphins late within the season.
Weaknesses
Zone Protection
There’s a purpose the Bucs had been capable of signal Melifonwu initially of coaching camp and why he didn’t have a lot of a market initially of free company. Melifonwu is a really restricted participant by way of position and scheme. He struggles enjoying deep the place his restricted change of course weakens him in protection as a deep-half participant attempting to get to the sideline to cease the honey-hole shot whereas sustaining depth. Even the place his protection skills are at their finest – the aforementioned robber/gap defender killing seam home windows then requires him to shut on beneath drags, slants, hitches and over-the-ball routes. And he’s usually gradual to get to them for a similar causes.
And that plus restricted eye-discipline hurts him in quarters the place his assignments require him to choose up and go off routes as they develop and he has to make the best match selections. The attention self-discipline points present up when he’s enjoying publish security overlaying the center third as effectively. Something that exhibits as eye-candy tends to doom him. Movement, play motion, shadow routes – all of it leaves him out of place or out-leveraged.
In all probability finest to restrict Melifonwu’s single-high publish snaps. Passing off assignments would not look to be his power. pic.twitter.com/qhDcPw1RM8
Contesting Catches
Melifonwu doesn’t contest many passes. Final yr the interception in opposition to the Payments was his solely ball disruption of the season, as he had zero compelled incompletions and 0 go break ups. The dearth of eye self-discipline results in him simply not understanding the place the ball is more often than not to disrupt it. This has been constant all through his profession as he averages a go disruption (PBU +INT) as soon as each 108 protection reps. Examine that to Antoine Winfield Jr. (1:98) and Tykee Smith (1:79) and the image turns into clearer.
For example his struggles as finest as I can, here’s a radar chart of his protection metrics from final yr. The additional out the info level the higher.
Tackling
I additionally fear about his tackling type and course of. In the hunt for large hits, he usually fails to wrap up, and his pursuit angles go away lots to be desired. This has precipitated his missed deal with price to inflate lately. He hit 16.7% final yr the place the common security was lacking tackles at a few 12% price. When he does wrap, he loses his aggressive mentality and absorbs contact greater than dictates it. It’s a whole reversal of mentality which I discover very curious.
Becoming the Run
As an enforcer sort who’s finest used close to the road of scrimmage, I’d anticipate Melifonwu to suit the run effectively. And after watching him final yr I simply come away upset. His poor angles go away him out of place to make a cease and his catch a ball-carrier method permits extra yards after contact than is suitable.
Bucs S Ifeatu Melifonwu – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Amongst 102 qualifying safeties with a minimum of 100 run protection snaps, he ranked 86th in run cease price and 96th in common depth of deal with, regardless of having a moderately normalized distribution of deep, field and slot snaps. A few of that is admittedly on account of how the Dolphins deployed their safeties final yr. They didn’t ask for fast triggers down discipline, asking a lot of their linebackers. However on high of that Melfonwu didn’t exhibit the traits to be significantly higher on this space even when the task adjustments significantly.
General Ideas
This signing brings expertise to the again of the depth chart in Tampa Bay’s security room. That’s one thing the Bucs lacked previous to his addition. But when both Tykee Smith of Antoine Winfield Jr. had been to overlook time I might nonetheless hope J.J. Roberts is the primary man as much as exchange both of them. He has the upper ceiling with much less limitations as in comparison with Ifeatu Melifonwu, who actually simply will get after the quarterback effectively.
If really feel assured Todd Bowles may get probably the most out of his talent set, leveraging what he does finest. However I doubt that may be sufficient to get a serviceable participant.
