Kevin Winston Jr. NFL Draft projection: 3 best-suited teams for Penn State captain ft. Dallas Cowboys
With the college football regular season concluded and bowl season is upon us, players will be declaring for the NFL draft. One person who has done so is All-Big Ten safety and captain at Penn State Kevin Winston Jr. He sent out a statement declaring for the 2025 NFL draft.
"After much thought and prayer, I'm excited to announce that I'll be declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft," Winston Jr. said. "This has been my dream for as long as I can remember, and I'm ready to embrace this next challenge with the same dedication and heart that got me to this point. Thank you to everyone who has been apart of my journey. This is just the beginning."
Winston suffered a partially torn ACL in Week 2 during a practice session, ending his CFB season. That is why he declared for the draft while the Penn State Nittany Lions were still in the College Football Playoff.
With that being said, which teams will be interested in Kevin Winston Jr? Let's look at a few teams that make the most sense to draft him.
Teams that should draft Kevin Winston Jr
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys have some needs heading into the 2025 NFL draft and one of the more glaring spots would be the safety position. This would make sense as the team currently ranks 31st in the NFL with 28.2 points per game allowed.
With the team projected to have the 11th pick, this would be an early second-round selection so there is a chance for Jerry Jones to get one of the most talented overall players and get him at a cheaper price with the second-round price tag.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens have looked like a dominant team throughout the season, but their defense has been brutal. This defense must improve as they give up too many big plays in the passing game.
The situation is urgent with Marcus Williams benched and Eddie Jackson cut from the franchise. Winston's availability towards the end of the first round is a possible solution for the Ravens.
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans have been searching for long-term answers at the safety position and Kevin Winston Jr. fills that. With coach Demeco Ryans calling the shots, having a secondary with Derek Stingley Jr, Kamari Lassiter, Calen Bullock, and Kevin Winston Jr, this would be a dominant quartet.
Houston has been a middling defense this season and this is one of their bigger needs for the offseason.