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Antoine Winfield Jr. would be smart, versatile weapon for Chiefs secondary

By Travis Steffen

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - OCTOBER 26: Antoine Winfield Jr. #11 of the Minnesota Gophers looks on during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at TCF Bank Stadium on October 26, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Gophers defeated the Terrapins 52-10. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - OCTOBER 26: Antoine Winfield Jr. #11 of the Minnesota Gophers looks on during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at TCF Bank Stadium on October 26, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Gophers defeated the Terrapins 52-10. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr.
Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

How does Antoine Winfield Jr. fit in the Chiefs defense?

In the NFL, Antoine Winfield Jr. projects as a starting free safety that you can win with who fits best in a two-high alignment utilizing his aggressiveness, but he can play single-high or move down to the slot. He makes up for his size and lack of elite athleticism with mental processing, competitive toughness, and ball skills.

Winfield would be an excellent addition to the Chiefs defense. As one of the smarter players in the 2020 NFL Draft class, he would be another versatile weapon for Spagnuolo to deploy on defense. In 2019, Kansas City ranked fifth in interceptions with 16. The Chiefs would rank 18th in forced fumbles with 13. Winfield’s ability to get his offense the ball back would improve an already rebuilt defense.

Adding another versatile defensive back would allow Thornhill and Mathieu to move throughout the defense. Winfield would be an upgrade at the position over Fuller from 2019. It would also allow the Chiefs to move on from Sorensen to clear some cap space for future contracts.

If Kansas City can add another versatile piece like Winfield to their secondary, it would allow Spagnuolo to be even more creative with playcalling. It would allow Mathieu to be utilized more as a weapon instead of being used to cover up other weaknesses. According to Pro Football Focus, Mathieu had 315 snaps inside the box, 483 at slot corner, and 173 at free safety. Why not add another weapon that can be equally versatile?

Mathieu has expressed his thoughts on whether the Chiefs should use their selection on Winfield Jr. already. Ryan Clark of ESPN put out a tweet discussing how he loved Winfield’s film. Mathieu replied, saying that Winfield will be an All-Pro at the next level.

“Somebody gonna overthink it,” Mathieu wrote in his reply to Clark. “He will be (two-time) All-Pro by time he 30. I see that when I watch him. He smart. Go to sleep (and) think bout the plays he gon [sic] make. I hope we get him.”

Winfield looks to model his game after Mathieu, which is just a bonus. Pairing the two of them and Juan Thornhill seems like a match made in heaven. Will Kansas City pull the trigger if he’s there at pick 32?

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