Adult Chicago Bears fans are bound to remember the name Antoine Winfield. He was a star cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2000s. One of the more versatile players at his position with an ability to cover and blitz. All this despite being “undersized” according to many. Now his son Antoine Winfield Jr. is preparing to embark on his own NFL journey. Ironically coming out of the University of Minnesota.
It seems the Bears organization didn’t forget how good his daddy was because they used one of their top 30 visits to speak with the young safety through FaceTime according to Justin Melo of The Draft Wire. It’s not hard to see why. Winfield Jr. had seven interceptions in 2019 for the Gophers and established himself as a legitimate playmaker. Chicago has a vacancy at strong safety next to Eddie Jackson with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix leaving for Dallas.
The sticking point is whether they can live with his size. Winfield Jr. is only 5’10, which is short for a safety. He’s also coming in after just two seasons with the program, so inexperience is another concern. All things to weigh if he is on the board when they pick.
Chicago Bears won’t ignore the defense even now
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared Winfield to former Pro Bowler T.J. Ward. A former member of the 2015 Denver Broncos team that won the Super Bowl. Ward ended up going 38th overall in the 2nd round when he was drafted. That’s five picks above where the Bears will start their draft at #43. So there is a possibility Winfield might be there.
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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.”
While offense is the priority for the Bears this offseason, it’s nice to see they aren’t about to completely ignore the defense. They added Robert Quinn to boost their pass rush in free agency. Securing Winfield Jr. could give them a cheap and talented wingman to Jackson in the secondary. There is never any shame in looking to keep the strength of your team as strong as possible.
