Penn State safety Kevin Winston Jr. was on pace toward superstardom. Then he partially tore his ACL in the second week of the 2024 season, ending his highly anticipated year just after it began. Winston’s stock likely dropped due to the injury, but not enough to keep him out of the NFL draft’s third round, where he was selected by the Tennessee Titans with the No. 82 overall pick on Friday.
He becomes the third Nittany Lion to come off the board in this year’s draft. Abdul Carter went No. 3 overall to the New York Giants and tight end Tyler Warren was picked No. 14 by the Indianapolis Colts in Thursday night’s first round.
A preseason All-American candidate, Winston was once projected to join Carter and Warren as a first-round selection. That came following a breakout sophomore campaign in 2023, when the 6-foot-2 and 208-pound Winston led Penn State with 60 tackles, adding 2.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, an interception and five pass breakups.
Winston won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors after registering 12 tackles and forced a fumble in the Nittany Lions’ 34-12 season-opening victory at West Virginia last August. That was his only full game played before tearing his ACL in the following week of practice, an injury that ultimately required surgery.
Following his final game appearance of his college career on Sept. 7, the general public hadn’t seen Winston participate in physical activity. That was until his Pro Day on March 28, when Winston impressed spectators with a 4.50 40-yard dash, a remarkable time for a player who’d undergone surgery just five months prior.
He told reporters that day that he aimed to be completely healthy by training camp in the summer. And if he remains healthy, Winston likely has the potential to define himself as a third-round steal.
