KW #23

Kevin Winston Jr.

Safety · Penn State

A hard-hitting Penn State safety who overcame a torn ACL to become a run-stopping force as a Titans rookie.

Kevin Winston Jr. was a productive tackler at Penn State before a partially torn ACL cut his final college season short. The Titans still used a third-round pick on him in 2025, and he answered by playing all season as a rookie and grading as one of the league's best run-defending safeties.

★ Third-round pick (No. 82 overall) in the 2025 NFL Draft

★ Top-graded run-defense safety in the NFL as a rookie, per Pro Football Focus

★ Team-high 61 tackles at Penn State in 2023

Path to the league

Winston played 28 games over three seasons at Penn State, starting 15, and racked up 90 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and an interception. He missed most of his 2024 season with a partially torn ACL suffered after just two games. The Titans drafted him with the 82nd overall pick in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Career highlights

A DeMatha Catholic High School product out of Maryland, Winston made a team-high 61 tackles for Penn State in 2023 before his injury-shortened senior campaign. He entered the NFL as part of a loaded Penn State draft class that also included first-rounders Abdul Carter and Tyler Warren.

2025 season recap

Winston played in 10 games with six starts as a rookie, finishing with 34 combined tackles, a sack and two pass deflections. He graded as one of the league's premier run-stopping safeties, posting the top run-defense grade at the position according to Pro Football Focus, while his coverage numbers lagged as he continued adjusting to the pro game.

Sources

Wikipedia: Kevin Winston Jr.
Tennessee Titans: Titans Select Penn State Safety Kevin Winston Jr. in Third Round of the NFL Draft
ESPN: Kevin Winston Jr.