When Kevin Winston Jr. went down with a knee injury in Penn State’s win over Bowling Green, it looked like he would be out of action not just for the remainder of the season but for the 2025 pre-draft process.
Sure, Winston could still interview with GMs, talk to coaches, and hope that his college production would make up for a lost 2024 season, but he likely wouldn’t be running a 40, doing a 3-cone drill, or any of the other workouts teams use to determind which cornerbacks are worthy of a premier award.
Or would he?
That’s right, despite being mere months away from a major injury, Winston did run a 40 time at his Pro Day, coming in at 4.50 on a busted wheeler. While this number won’t shock fans or make him a first-round pick, it did show incredible resolve, which is what Winston hoped it would, as he explained at the event.
“My biggest thing is I always want to compete,” Winston said via 24/7 Sports. “That’s the most frustrating part, that I can’t go out there and compete with different guys and compete with the best of the best. But I have to control what I can control and keep being me and continue to… I’m out there with Jaylen Reed — support him, support the guys that are out there. I want to see everybody win, so that’s my thought process. When I get the chance to come out and compete, I’ll be excited for that.”
One of the tougher players to evaluate in this year’s class because of his lack of production in 2024, Winston is widely expected to go on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft, with the NFL Mock Draft Database 2025 Consensus Big Board ranking him the fifth-best safety in this year’s class at spot 98.
Could Winston be a late third-round pick like his former teammate, Ji’Ayir Brown? While only time will tell, who knows, maybe Winston’s effort and resolve will encourage talent evaluators to move him up boards because of his sheer love of the game.
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