Winston projects as a Day 2/early Day 3 option to replace the Ifeatu Melifonwu role in Detroit’s defense.
Penn State safety Kevin Winston is a name for Lions fans to know on Day 2, or perhaps early Day 3, of the 2025 NFL Draft. The box safety checks quite a few boxes that the Brad Holmes/Dan Campbell regime looks for in a prospect, though there are some drawbacks as well.
Kevin Winston, S, Penn State
A one-year starter at Penn State, Winston was on his way to becoming a more impactful and highly-touted prospect before suffering a partially torn ACL in the Nittany Lions’ second game. After briefly trying to play through it, Winston was shelved for the season. Despite having two years of eligibility remaining, Winston declared for the NFL.
- Measured at 6-foot-1.5 and 215 pounds at the combine
- Led Penn State in tackles (60) in 2023, with 2.5 TFLs and 5 PDs, including one INT
- Missed all but 2 games in 2024 with an ACL injury
- 21 years old with a December birthday
Games watched: West Virginia, Bowling Green, Michigan State (2023), Ohio State (2023), Maryland (2023)
Positives
- Outstanding open-field tackler
- Fast to close to the ball or point of attack
- Large for a safety at almost 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, and he hits like a linebacker
- Has shown he can blanket tight ends in coverage
- Very willing in run support in the box and attacking stretch runs
- Good reactions in coverage to plays in front of him
- Was a team captain despite limited on-field experience
Negatives
- Lots of false steps and fits/starts in coverage
- Chases the cheese on play fakes and misdirections more than he should
- Can be clunky changing direction
- Needs work on coverage awareness of what’s not in his direct sight line
- Much better with the play in front of him than to his periphery or over the top
- Very inexperienced; played under 700 college snaps
- Minimal special teams experience after his first year
Overall
Winston has the potential to be a dynamic box safety, almost playing more as a hybrid LB/S role than a true safety. His coverage skills, especially away from the line of scrimmage, are not ready for the NFL, but the upside is there. As long as he recovers from the knee injury, Winston can step right in as a third safety with the potential to emerge as a starter with more experience. His lack of experience will likely require some patience for a middle-round pick, and Winston will need to develop quickly on special teams to be active on game days as a rookie.
