Titans rookie phenom could quietly transform an entire position group

Throughout all of the Tennessee Titans' recent secondary struggles, one consistent bright spot has been safety Amani Hooker. However, the safety spot opposite of him has not been nearly as successful.

After being a position group of constant volatility over the 2024 season, the safety spot was addressed this offseason when first-year general manager Mike Borgonzi added former Penn State safety Kevin Winston Jr. via the 82nd overall pick. It was the second investment of the offseason at safety after veteran Xavier Woods was signed in free agency.

Following his 2023 season, Winston was projected as a potential first-round pick. However, his 2024 campaign was unfortunately cut short after suffering a season-ending knee injury in Penn State’s second game of the season. This injury caused his draft stock to plummet, and he continued to slip further down draft boards as the pre-draft process moved forward.

Assuming Winston is able to return to his 2023 form, the Titans managed to steal a potential first-round talent at the end of Day Two of the NFL Draft.

What Winston Jr. brings to Tennessee’s defense 

Complementing Hooker’s skillset perfectly, Winston excels as a box safety. Standing at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he fits the prototypical mold for a player in his role. He also more than meets any and all run defending expectations that come alongside his frame.

Winston constantly displays a hairpin trigger when coming downhill to defend the run. While some safeties struggle with shying away from physicality and relying too heavily on shoestring tackles, he falls on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Virtually a door stop, his stopping power when meeting ball carriers is nothing short of jarring. One of the most technically sound tacklers in recent memory, once he gets his hands on a ball carrier, the play is over. 

Despite weighing in at over 200 pounds, Winston still possesses high-end athletic traits. Pairing his trigger with his blistering closing burst, his range in both run defense and coverage jumps off his film. His combination of size and speed also makes him a nightmare to block. Only adding to his already impressive arsenal, his ability to not only shed, but also avoid blocks makes him the total package as a run defender.

Winston thrives in man coverage

Shifting over to his pass coverage, Winston thrives in man coverage. While Penn State’s defensive scheme didn’t ask him to survive in one-on-one man coverage all that often, he excelled when given the task. Functioning as a tight end eraser from both the box and the slot, his fluid hips and impressive overall athleticism give him all the necessary tools to remain sticky in man coverage. 

Winston’s size and physicality don’t only shine through in run defense, but also in contested catch situations. Consistently aggressive and disruptive at the catch point, he leaves very little question marks in relation to his man coverage abilities.

What caused Winston Jr. to slip in the draft?

While the primary concern with Winston’s game is his ability to recover from his aforementioned ACL injury, he’s also not a perfect prospect. Despite excelling as a man coverage defender, he struggles more when tasked with zone coverage. 

Winston has an unfortunate tendency of getting his eyes stuck on the quarterback and drifting too shallow, allowing receivers to get overtop of him. While this can lead to a handful of brutal plays, his flaws are few and far between.

How Winston fits into the Titans’ secondary

A concrete timeline for Winston’s return is currently unknown, but don’t expect a late start to prevent him from usurping a starting role within his rookie season. While the Titans’ starting safety rotation will most likely begin with some combination of Hooker, Woods, and Mike Brown, he could very realistically take over as Tennessee’s starting box safety as soon as he is recovered.

In a period of significant instability for the Titans’ secondary, Winston has the potential to be a cornerstone piece in Tennessee’s rebuild.