After overcoming a rocky rookie season defined by injury, the Penn State product aims to anchor Tennessee’s secondary as both a full-time starter and a much-needed vocal leader.
The Tennessee Titans took a risk in the 2025 NFL Draft and are hoping that it pays off.
The talk of the draft class was obviously quarterback Cam Ward, who the Titans took No. 1 overall. Despite not being put in the best situation as a rookie, he threw for 3,169 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The Titans also took promising prospects Chimere Dike, Elic Ayomanor and Gunnar Helm. Tennessee went back to the Jon Robinson era with its selection of Penn State safety Kevin Winston.
It seemed like Robinson was always willing to pick players with a history of injuries in college, with selections like Treylon Burks, Isaiah Wilson and Kaleb Farley among the more recent mistakes.
Winston followed that blueprint.
He suffered a torn ACL in his final season at Penn State and was taken by the Titans in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He accounted for 90 total tackles, one interception and 3.5 TFLs in college.
The injury carried over to the Titans, and he missed most of last season. Lingering knee issues limited him from returning sooner than anticipated. As a whole, he played in 10 games with six starts.
Winston finished with 34 total tackles, one sack and four TFLs as a rookie.
Winston now enters his second year with the Titans and is feeling more confident than ever. According to Titans Insider Jim Wyatt, he wants to grow not only as a player, but as a player with Tennessee.
"I expect a major leap from myself," Winston said. "Not just on the field, but as a teammate, as a leader. And that's the biggest focus right now. Right now, that leap will come from me focusing on the day in and day out, and each day taking a step."
After starting six games at safety alongside Amani Hooker, Winston is in a position to be the full-season starter for the Titans in 2026. His biggest competition is fellow safety Tony Adams, who is already familiar with Robert Saleh after playing for the New York Jets from 2022-25.
After this team lost veteran leader Kevin Byard, there hasn't really been a leader to step up in the secondary. Hooker needs to step into that role, but more importantly, a young player like Winston becoming that for the Titans would be huge.
Hopefully, Winston can put his injury history behind him and be a leader in the locker room. This Titans team definitely needs it after consecutive 3-14 seasons.
