2025 NFL Draft: Kevin Winston Jr. Draft Profile
Kevin Winston Jr. is a talented but inexperienced prospect due to a season-ending knee injury early in the 2024 season which may hurt his draft profile. He is best when moving forward, particularly in the box playing in the running game. Winston has the prototypical size as a safety. He is an expert tackler in the running game and is adept at covering in-line and slot tight ends by pressing and hindering their catch radius. However, due to missing most of the 2024 season, teams and scouts have questions on his ability to play the deep safety as he did not have the opportunity against big-time competition to prove how far he has improved in that area of his game.
Winston started in all 13 games for Penn State in 2023, recording 60 tackles (35 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, one interception, and five pass breakups while being named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. He suffered a partially torn ACL at a practice leading up to a game against Bowling Green that ended his 2024 season. Despite that setback, he is ranked No. 76 on Eric Edholm’s Top 100 NFL prospects list.
School: Penn State
Hometown: Columbia, Maryland
Height: 6’1 1/2”
Weight: 215 pounds
Arm Length: 32 1/2 inches
Hand Size: 9 ½ inches
Strengths
- Leadership ability is a plus; was named team captain at Penn State.
- Long arms for the position.
- Scouts love his mindset for the professional level.
- Has the frame and body type to consistently cover NFL tight ends.
- Sure tackler in the box and the open field.
- Adept at covering 50-50 passes with his size and body control.
- Downhill player that quickly snuffs out plays in the action.
Weaknesses
- Missed most of the 2024 season due to injury.
- Has difficulties with play recognition that lead to slow play reaction.
- Needs to work on his football instincts.
- He struggles to plant and get out of his drops promptly.
- He will need time physically and mentally, specifically learning the playbook to get up to speed at the NFL level.
NFL Player Comparison:
Kamren Curl, Los Angeles Rams
Teams with a need at the position:
Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles.
Draft Projection:
Late Second Round to Early Fourth Round
Bottom Line on Kevin Winston Jr.
Kevin Winston Jr. is an underrated prospect who did not get a real opportunity to showcase his skills to NFL scouts during the 2024 season. Had he done so, he would be in the running with Malaki Starks of Georgia as one of the top safety prospects in this year’s class. Winston is big and physical, can play the short to intermediate routes in the passing game, and is a plus in the run defense category. The biggest question for him at the NFL level is whether he can improve his instincts, and I say he can. He was a leader on Penn State’s defense, and when he gets his knee back to 100 percent, he could be a mid-round steal for a team looking for back-end help.
Main Image: Matthew O’Haren – USA Today Sports
