Penn State Nittany Lions star Kevin Winston Jr. is one of the top safety prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Let’s break down the big-bodied defensive back who’s battle-tested at the highest level of college football.
Kevin Winston Jr. Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 215 pounds
- Position: Safety
- School: Penn State
- Current Year: Junior
Winston’s Scouting Report
A four-star recruit from Hyattsville, Maryland, Winston starred at DeMatha Catholic, where he had 50 tackles, three interceptions, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown in 2021. He committed to play college football at Penn State.
Though Winston factored into the defensive rotation for the Nittany Lions as a freshman, he saw most of his playing time come on special teams. He finished the year with 16 total tackles, as well as a tackle for a loss. He appeared in all 12 games.
With the departure of incumbent starter Jaquan Brisker to the NFL, Winston stepped into Penn State’s starting lineup. He started in all 13 games and finished with 61 tackles, an interception, five pass deflections, and three tackles for a loss. He graded out with an 89.2 PFF grade during the year.
Winston generated significant NFL attention coming into his true junior year, but his season ended prematurely. A knee injury cut his 2024 short, as he only played in three games with two starts. In that time, he tallied 13 total tackles and a forced fumble.
Though he had additional collegiate eligibility, Winston ultimately decided to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft after his junior season.
Strengths
- Big-bodied defensive back with impressive size and a large catch radius.
- Versatile defender who showcased the ability to play in the slot, in the box, and as a traditional deep safety.
- Sharp going through his reads, identifying route concepts well and timing his jumps well onto a route in coverage.
- Explosive in a straight line, with good closing speed in pursuit as a tackler.
- Combination of speed, size, and physicality gives him intriguing tools to work with.
- Physical defensive back who squares up to blocks and does a better job of handling contact in the box than the average safety.
- Plays with an aggressive mindset, showcasing a high motor and a willingness to wrap up at the point of contact.
- Wraps up well as a tackler, and he has the raw play strength needed to regularly bring down ball-carriers.
- Long arms and well-built frame give him the ability to compete with tight ends in man coverage.
Weaknesses
- Aggression can come back to bite him sometimes, as he doesn’t always properly break down in space as a downhill defender.
- High-hipped defensive back who has average lateral quickness coming out of his breaks.
- Doesn’t have the explosiveness in coverage changing direction to hold his own with slot receivers consistently.
- Has a tendency to shoestring tackle a bit too often.
- Only has one full year of starting collegiate tape, having been a backup in 2022 and missing most of the 2024 season due to injury.
- Longitudinal agility is pretty run of the mill for the safety position coming out of his backpedal.
- Occasionally prone to being a split second too late in his diagnoses, allowing catches in coverage and making it tougher for him to consistently make plays on the ball.
Current NFL Draft Projection and Summary
Despite the small sample size, Winston has some serious tools to work with at the NFL level.
With a prototypical strong safety frame and an aggressive mindset, Winston is a willing and capable tackler with long arms and ideal physicality in coverage. His ability to play all over the field should be enticing to NFL teams.
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Winston’s straight-line speed is above-average for the safety position, and it’s especially above-average for a safety as big as he is. His size and explosiveness give him upside defending tight ends in man coverage.
There have been some encouraging flashes of instincts on tape with Winston, though he can be a bit too late to process what’s in front of him at times. He doesn’t have a lot of tape to go off of, and he’s a little more stiff in the hips than you’d like.
While Winston could face a learning curve in his rookie year, he should still be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. Given his physical tools and the overall effort he brings to the table, he feels like a great value pick in Round 3.