Coverage
60/70
A tough, physical cornerback who locks up well in man coverage, Antoine Winfield bucks the trend of the bigger, taller player in today’s NFL. He doesn’t have the length or size to be a physical presence on the edge, but he plays tough and aggressive at the line of scrimmage.
Winfield, who failed to reach a deal with his 2012 team, the Vikings, this offseason, can play in press coverage and does a great job impacting wide receivers off the line. He’s quick enough to adjust in space and can run with players in their route tree. Bigger receivers will be able to go over the top on him, but he’s very aware and does a good job getting inside position on jump balls and uses his hands well to knock the ball out of a receiver’s hands when they’re coming back down to the ground. Winfield wins with his physical style of play.
Run Defense
15/15
A nasty run defender, Winfield attacks the ball and will fight through traffic to get to the runner. He’s slippery in space and plays with a nonstop motor when asked to come up and attack the edge.
Tackle
13/15
Winfield was close to being a top-rated tackler, but we noticed too many missed tackles to be a perfect 15. His smaller frame and limited reach made him a less-than-perfect tackler.
Overall
88/100
After a full 17 games of viewing, it was apparent that Winfield was one of the best. He had just one bad game in all of 2012; unfortunately, it was against Green Bay in the playoffs.