Lunchbreak: Recapping Top Performers from 2020 Combine

[Viktor]

Winfield, Jr., Chinn among safety standouts


The countdown to free agency is on, as it officially begins at 3 p.m. (CT) on March 18.


Safety is a position to watch for the Vikings. Anthony Harris, Andrew Sendejo and Jayron Kearse are all scheduled to become free agents.


With that in mind, Jonah Tuls of The Draft Network took a look at players at that position who made a strong final impression at the 2020 Combine.


Tuls said a local product — University of Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. — moved himself up draft boards with his strong performance.


Tuls wrote:


Winfield, Jr., entered the week as a fourth-year sophomore with two medical redshirts under his belt. His injury history was a headline going into Indianapolis, but most initial reports indicate positive news about his long-term durability.


The former Gopher measured at 5-foot-9 and 203 pounds. He tied for the third-fastest 40-yard dash among safeties this year (4.45 seconds).


Tuls wrote that Winfield, Jr., showed "superb ball skills, range and instincts as a three-level defender who can play both safety spots seamlessly" on game tape.


Whether it was size, speed or medicals, there was just always something holding him back from becoming a top safety prospect in this class. Now that he's answered most, if not all of those questions, I wouldn't be surprised if some teams view him as the top player at the position in this class. Even if it's not that high, Winfield, Jr., is now in the same conversation as Xavier McKinney.


Winfield, Jr., is the son of former Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield, and talked about following in his father's footsteps last week.


Tuls also added that Southern Illinois safety Jeremy Chinn's stock is on the upswing after not receiving much publicity in recent months.


Tuls wrote:


But that is about to change with what [Chinn] showed in his tests at the combine for his uncanny size at the position — 4.45 in the 40-yard dash, 41-inch vertical jump, and [11-foot, 6-inch] broad jump. Those are all elite numbers.