The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected defensive back Antoine Winfield Jr. with the 45th pick in the NFL Draft on Friday night.
After two injury-shortened seasons, Winfield reestablished himself as an upper-echelon NFL Draft prospect with a strong year in 2019 as a redshirt sophomore. The son of former Minnesota Vikings great Antoine Winfield, Winfield Jr. has football in his DNA, which shows up in all kinds of ways in his game. But interestingly, junior has what appears to be a very different game from his All-Pro dad, who profiled more like a classic cover-first cornerback.
Here's what you need to know about Antoine Winfield Jr.:
Measurables: 5'9"/203
School: University of Minnesota
2019 Stats: 83 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 3 sacks, 7 interceptions, one pick-six, one pass defensed, two forced fumbles
Accolades: Unanimous All-American 2019, First-Team All-Big Ten 2019, Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year 2019, Academic All-Big Ten 2017-19, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar 2018-19
Strengths:
• Hard-nosed, disruptive ballhawk
• Instincts, anticipation and timing are off the charts
• Solid 4.45-second 40-yard dash but plays even faster
• Delivers big hits in run support and on other plays near the line of scrimmage
• Appears to be adept covering slot receivers and playing center field
• Has shown flashes as a ballcarrier, including two career pick-sixes and a punt return for touchdown
Weaknesses:
• Could be vulnerable on misdirection and play fakes against headier coaches and players given aggressive style
• Likely to have trouble against taller receivers on contested balls
• Injury prone -- limited to just eight games combined in 2017 and 2018 -- and might be a risk for further issues because of how hard he plays
Expert scouting report:
• "Tremendous versatility ... undersized, but he is a hard-hitting tackler with ball skills" -- Todd McShay, ESPN
• "NFL-ready instincts will serve him well in an early starting role, even if he might come just short of All-Pro potential" -- Eric Edholm, Yahoo Sports
• "Has all the traits you want at safety" -- Patrick Conn, Draft Wire
Tape:
Player Comparison: T.J. Ward, per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com
Winfield Jr. is a "quality building block with the toughness and intelligence to help fortify the back end," according to Zierlein. It's an apt description for Ward, who played eight seasons with the Browns, Broncos and Bucs, earning two All-Pro nods along the way. The Oregon product delivered his share of big hits in his day, as well. Winfield doesn't play much like his father, but he'll be just fine if his career looks like Ward's.
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