The Vikings could use a safety in the NFL Draft if Anthony Harris ends up taking his talents elsewhere.
And that safety could be a player who rooted for the Vikings growing up: Antoine Winfield Jr., who played for the Gophers in college.
“That would just be incredible. When my dad played, I grew up a Vikings fan. That would be incredible to play for Minnesota after watching them all these years,” Winfield told reporters.
Some mock drafts have predicted that he could go in the second or third round, so Minnesota could draft him after shoring up depth at offensive line, defensive line or cornerback.
Winfield is coming off a season where he tallied three sacks and seven interceptions in 2019. His stock probably would have been higher this draft had he not been injured in 2018. Before he suffered an injury he was having a pretty solid season, too.
There’s also the size factor. At 5-10, Winfield Jr. is considered undersized by some, and he would be a slight change from Harris, who is 6-1. However, like Harris he was a ballhawk last season, and assuming some of that can translate to the NFL, he can likely add value to the Vikings, a team in need of positions to be filled in the draft.
The cornerback can also return punts, which adds a role the Vikings could have used against the 49ers when Marcus Sherels was struggling.
If Minnesota is in need of a safety, I say they take a chance on him. Winfield Jr. proved to be high-motor player in college, and it would be fun to have a Winfield on the team again.