Oklahoma defensive lineman Perrion Winfrey doesn't like playing for soft coaches

Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Perrion Winfrey opened up on the coaching style he prefers as a player as the NFL Combine on Saturday. For Winfrey, he doesn’t want a coach that’s not going to tell you like it is. Instead, he wants a coach that is going to be real and not be soft.

At the Senior Bowl, Winfrey worked with New York Jets defensive line coach Aaron Whitcotton. Working with Whitcotton was something that Winfrey enjoyed.

“I love coaches like that who are going to get on your a**. Like, ‘He just put you on your a**, put him on his a**.’ I don’t like coaches who are just soft and just kind of beat around the bush,” Winfrey said at the NFL Combine. “I like coaches who keep it real with me. He was one of those coaches that kept it real with me and let me know the things I could do at the Senior Bowl, let me know that I could dominate if I really wanted to. Once he let me know that, it was off and running.”

I asked #Oklahoma DL Perrion Winfrey what it was like playing for #Jets DL coach Aaron Whitcotton at the Senior Bowl:

“I love coaches like that [who say] ‘he just put you on your ass, put him on his ass! I don’t like coaches that are soft.” pic.twitter.com/L6rDUL3eO5

— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) March 4, 2022

Winfrey began his collegiate career at the JUCO level, starring for Iowa Western. In two years there, he totaled 55 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. After the 2019 season, Winfrey decided to transfer to Oklahoma.

In his first year with the Sooners in 2020, Winfrey had 17 tackles with 5.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, and three passes defended in nine games. This past season, he totaled 23 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and forced one fumble in 11 games.

Winfrey flew up NFL Draft boards after the Senior Bowl

Prior to the Senior Bowl, ESPN NFL Draft expert Todd McShay had Winfrey in the third round territory. But after his strong showing in Mobile, McShay slid Winfrey way up in his draft rankings. Now, McShay views Winfrey as a second rounder with the potential for even more of a rise.

“The third player that really jumped out to me in terms of moving up my rankings, Perrion Winfrey from Oklahoma,” McShay said. “Where you been my man? And I know part of it was the scheme. They do a lot of slanting at Oklahoma. it didn’t really feature his strengths.

“I’ve bumped him up to number 43 overall in this class. I think he could be an early second round pick. Some people may say the nose tackle slash three technique defensive tackle could wind up going late in the first. But that was a big move up for me from the third round to the early second round range as the third defensive tackle in this class.”