Dallas Cowboys: Post-Combine 7-round 2020 mock draft hones in on defense
Height: 5-9 | Weight: 203 pounds | Arms: 30.125 inches
40 Time: 4.45 seconds | Vertical: 36 inches | Broad Jump: 10-foot-4
Watching Antoine Winfield Jr. on film before the NFL Combine, it was hard to not like the son of three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield. The Minnesota Golden Gopher displayed tremendous playmaking and football IQ, despite his diminutive size for the position that is not ideal by most standards. To bang that home, here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had to say prior to testing in Indianapolis:
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"Winfield isn’t as tall or as long as teams like and he’s an average athlete, but he’s an interchangeable safety who can flat out play. Winfield is stout and strong with above average body control and balance. He can bang on tight ends in coverage and support the run near the box. His angles to the ball are efficient against the run or pass. He’s very instinctive and sees plays unfold, but doesn’t have ballhawking twitch to challenge a high number of throws. His tackle net isn’t as wide in the open field, so he must tackle with excellent fundamentals."
After the Combine, however, Winfield Jr.’s stock is on the rise. The 4.45-second 40 and solid jumps show that he might be a better athlete than previous thought. And if that’s the case, when you factor in his toughness and feel on the back end of a defense, he has the potential to be a Tyrann Mathieu-like piece on defense.
Dallas has long been starving at safety for a playmaker who can be a versatile and movable piece on the back end, wearing a ton of different hats. Winfield Jr.’s film and now his testing confirm that he can be that type of player as a second-round pick, allowing the Cowboys to fill the void left by Byron Jones with the No. 17 pick.