Dallas Cowboys should draft this safety in the second round
Drafting a safety in the second round of the upcoming NFL draft may be what is best for the Dallas Cowboys. Instead of selecting one at pick 17.
Fans of the Dallas Cowboys have been restless waiting for the Cowboys to acquire a big-time safety. While the Cowboys could go for the big-name safety Grant Delpit out of LSU in the first round of the NFL draft, they could also fill out other needs such as cornerback and defensive tackle. The Cowboys could complete the perfect draft, by targeting safety Antoine Winfield Jr. in the second round of the draft.
Winfield Jr. is a ball-hawking safety out of the University of Minnesota. Being the son of former NFL cornerback Antoine Winfield, he has carried his father’s ability to make plays on the football. Last season at Minnesota, Winfield Jr. had 83 total tackles, 3.0 sacks, 2.0 forced fumbles, and 7.0 interceptions.
The safety from Minnesota also had an impressive combine performance, running a 4.45 40-yard dash and an impressive 36.0 vertical leap. He also did well in safety drills, showing off his good hands and quick change in direction. His impressive performance at the combine will undoubtedly help his draft stock for the upcoming draft.
This brings the question of why Winfield Jr. would fall to the second round. He has all the statistics of an all-American safety who can translate to the NFL, except his size. Winfield Jr. is viewed as undersized by scouts, measuring in at 5-feet-10 inches and 205 pounds. This hurts his draft stock as he does not measure up to other safeties up such as Grant Delpit and Xavier McKinney out of Alabama.
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Despite his size concern, drafting Winfield Jr. in the second round of the draft could be very beneficial to the Dallas Cowboys. They would be able to address another need in the first-round while still getting a very impressive safety prospect in the second round. Possibly using the 17th pick on cornerback C.J. Henderson from Florida or defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw from South Carolina, while still using the second-round pick on Winfield Jr. completing a very good first two rounds for the Cowboys.