Tag: Antoine Winfield Jr. Antoine Winfield

Antoine Winfield Jr. credits lucky underwear for draft day success

New Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. says it was a lucky pair of underwear that helped him on draft day.

It was widely assumed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would select an offensive tackle in round one of last week’s NFL draft, and they did so when they moved up a spot to 13 to draft Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs. Wirfs will join a line that will have to protect six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady next year — no small task for any tackle, let alone a rookie.

But the Bucs will also need their defense to be just as high-powered as their offense, which is why they opted for a safety in round two over a running back. That safety turned out to be Minnesota’s Antoine Winfield Jr., son of former Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield Sr. The Minnesota star went to the Bucs with the 45th pick, and will instantly add explosiveness to a defense that needs help in the secondary.

Winfield Jr. seems thrilled about coming to Tampa Bay, and apparently, his draft day success can be credited to one lucky garment.

Take a look at his recent Instagram posts.

Wearing underwear and socks on a conference call? I like this guy’s style.

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Mel Kiper loves the Antoine Winfield Jr. selection by the Bucs

See why ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. loves the second-round selection of Antoine Winfield Jr. by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers could’ve taken one of this year’s top running backs in round two, but instead chose to go with Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr. to help bolster their secondary.

Tampa Bay eventually found a running back in round three in the form of Vanderbilt’s Ke’Shawn Vaughn, who could provide a spark as a pass catcher. But it was the Winfield pick that had Mel Kiper naming the Bucs as one of his big winners from Day 2.

Per Kiper:

“I had the Bucs among my winners after Round 1, and I love this pick, too. The 5-foot-9 Winfield is a ball hawk and versatile player who could line up as a center fielder, slot corner or even down in the box. He’s just a ball player. He has some durability concerns — he missed huge chunks of the 2017 and 2018 seasons — but this is a bet on his upside. He could slot in as Tampa’s free safety.”

There’s no questioning Winfield’s athleticism, and don’t forget that his father Antoine Winfield Sr. was a Pro Bowl cornerback in the NFL. Let’s just hope durability issues don’t become a concern for the younger Winfield.

Kiper spent the majority of his time talking about the Winfield selection, but did chime in with his own thoughts on the Bucs’ decision to draft Vaughn in the third round.

“The Bucs also got some help for Tom Brady with Vanderbilt running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn in Round 3. He didn’t catch many passes in college (42 over the past two seasons), but he has some potential.”

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Instant analysis: Bucs make smart move by drafting S Antoine Winfield Jr.

See why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ decision to go defense in round two was the smart move for this team.

While many people thought the idea of adding a dynamic running back like J.K. Dobbins to the backfield might be too tempting for the Buccaneers to pass up, the Bucs instead chose to address their needs on defense in round two of the NFL draft. With the 45th pick, Tampa Bay selected Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr., the son of former NFL Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield, Sr.

While getting O-line help was the priority in round one last night, the Bucs wanted Day 2 to start off focused on the defense. While the Bucs did have the league’s best rush defense in 2019, their pass defense was 30th in the league, allowing 270.1 yards per game. In a division with Matt Ryan and Drew Brees, a defensive weakness like that will be exploited everytime.

Also, offense hasn’t been much of a problem for the Bucs. They can put up yards and points with the best of them, evident by Week 9’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks last season. But if you can’t stop the opposing team from scoring you’ll find yourself as postseason spectators again and again. Tampa Bay will only go as far as their defense takes them, which is why adding a guy like Antoine Winfield Jr. should be viewed as a big win.

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Vikings take S Antoine Winfield Jr. in 2nd round of mock draft

Winfield Jr. already has seven interceptions in 2019.

The Vikings have a bye in Week 12.

What a better thing to talk about than the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft?!

Our friend Luke Easterling put together a three-round mock draft this week.

With the No. 24 pick, he has the Vikings taking Alabama offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood.

And then with their second-round pick, the Vikings take University of Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr.

Of course, this is the son of former Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield. Winfield spent 2004-12 with the Vikings.

The younger Winfield has been an absolute ballhawk for the Gophers, intercepting seven passes in 2019. It’s worth noting that he still has two more years of eligibility remaining after being granted medical redshirts for the last two years.

With Anthony Harris set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and Winfield’s projection to play both safety and cornerback, this seems like it would be a good fit.

With Minnesota’s third-round pick, the Vikings select Utah defensive tackle Leki Fotu.