Retooling the Cleveland Browns 3.0: Pre-Combine mock draft

Antoine Winfield, Jr. is a ballhawk free safety that should be Damarious Randall’s cheaper and younger replacement. I really like what I see of him on film. I was able to see him in Minnesota’s bowl game against Auburn in person and saw Minnesota’s game against Northwestern, and he looked like the real deal in both of those games to me.

Against Northwestern, Winfield was able to rack up a whopping 11 total tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. That’s some serious production that the Browns defense could desperately need next season, especially with Damarious Randall most likely leaving the team in free agency. He also had a total of 7 interceptions in his fourth year of college alone.

Winfield is a little on the small side, listed at 5-foot-10 and 205-pounds, but I don’t think his size will be an issue, especially if the Browns bring back Schobert to cover tight ends in man pass protection situations instead of having a safety come down and fill that spot. He also has some injury concerns, but I don’t think those will be too big of a deterrent to a team drafting him, especially since he played almost every game last year. His combine results will shed more light on his health situation.

The Browns have two stud cornerbacks in Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams who are both more man-based cornerbacks. Having a deep free safety with the ball-hawking skills that Winfield Jr has to cover over the top for them would allow them to get more aggressive and force cause more interceptions overall.

Having a back seven consisting of two good man corners, a ballhawk free safety like Antoine Winfield Jr, a strong safety like the one I am about to project in the next pick, and the Browns young linebacker core with Schobert and Mack Wilson would be a deadly pass defense.