Philadelphia Eagles: Don’t overlook Antoine Winfield Jr. in the NFL Draft
While the Philadelphia Eagles are loaded at safety in 2020, Antoine Winfield Jr. may be too good to pass up if he splits to the middle of the second round.
The Philadelphia Eagles aren’t going to draft a safety in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, right? I mean, there’s just no way. This is the wide receiver draft, potentially the best ever, so why waste a premium pick on a player who lines up so off the ball?
Xavier McKinney? Okay, fine, maybe fans would accept Alabama‘s do-it-all strong safety as a worthy, cost-effective option to replace Malcolm Jenkins long-term, but seriously, outside of defensive tackle, offensive tackle running back, and tight end, safety has to be at the bottom of Howie Roseman‘s list of first-round needs.
Okay, but what about on Day 2? If a solid safety is the best player available on the board when the Birds go on the clock at 53, would the team seriously pass him over for a worse player at a position of need? If that player is Antoine Winfield Jr., I’d venture to say no.
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Not familiar with Winfield? Well, my friend, I guess you don’t watch a whole lot of Minnesota Gophers football.
Measuring in at 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, Winfield is a bit of a one-year wonder. A true senior who spent four years in Minneapolis, Winfield only played 18 games over his first three seasons but exploded onto the national stage in 2019 as the Gophers’ go-to defensive playmaker. In 12 games of action, Winfield racked up 83 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, a trio of sacks, and seven interceptions, the most of any player in the Big 10.
While Winfield spent most of his time deployed as a free safety in Joe Rossi’s defense scheme, his ability to make plays on the ball as both a Houdini-level pick artist and as a hard-hitting, heat-seeking missile in space made receivers lives a living hel…heck in 2019.
But wait, there’s more. Winfield was such a dynamic performer with the ball in his hands that Minnesota gave him three punt return attempts in 2018, which he turned into 110 yards and a touchdown.
My goodness, is there anything Winfield can’t do?
Factor in a very impressive showing at the combine highlighted by a 4.45 40 yard dash, a 36-inch vertical, and a 124-inch broad jump, and Winfield all but surely cemented himself as a top-50 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
But what if he isn’t? What if, like, 10 wide receivers go in the first 50 picks, and Winfield is still available when the Eagles are on the clock in the second round? Would the Eagles pass on a 21-year-old free safety with sideline-to-sideline speed, natural ball skills, and a nose for the end zone?
On paper, the Eagles are more-or-less set at safety in 2020 after signing a trio of capable defensive backs to new deals in free agency, but of those deals, only one, Rodney McLeod‘s, last into the 2021 season. So at a bare minimum, the Eagles will once again have to address the position again next spring even if it’s just re-signing either Jalen Mills or Will Parks to a long-term deal. In Winfield, the Eagles would have a clear succession plan behind McLeod at free safety who can contribute on special teams – both as a returner and a gunner – and in defensive sub-packages as a rookie.
Despite being one of the shorter safeties in this year’s class, Winfield only allowed 138 yards on 401 coverage snaps in 2019 (per PFF) and showcased a ‘my-ball’-mentality the Eagles haven’t had at safety since… Kurt Coleman? Quintin Mikell?
Frankly, the Eagles haven’t had an Eddie Jackson-level playmaker at safety since Brian Dawkins‘ tenure with the team.
Next. Jalen Reagor has Day 1 starter potential. dark
If the 2020 NFL Draft is going to be all about filling holes on the depth chart at positions of need, then safety should be a late afterthought, if it’s even addressed at all. However, if the Philadelphia Eagles instead opt to stick to their board and select the best player available whenever they go on the clock to pepper their roster with impressive talents across the board, Antoine Winfield Jr. very well may be the pick in the second round if he’s still available.