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Which Penn State player is a 2025 NFL Draft 'sleeper' in the mind of scouts?: Newsstand

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•06/10/24•

GregPickel

kevin-winston-jr-penn-state-football-march-13
Nittany Lions safety Kevin Winston Jr.

Penn State news, notes, and updates for June 10 include NFL scouts’ opinions on underrated college players, headlines of the day, and more.

It’s time to dive into Monday’s top tweets and stories about the Nittany Lions and college athletics.

Penn State news of the day

ESPN’s Matt Miller polled various NFL scouts and executives to find 14 under-the-radar college football players who should be receiving more attention when it comes to the 2025 Draft. We start today’s newsstand with that. Penn State safety KJ Winston Jr., made the list. He is the only Nittany Lion who did so.

“There wasn’t a safety selected in the 2024 draft until No. 47 overall, when Tyler Nubin came off the board (Giants),” Miller writes. “We should see more prospects angling for first-round status next year, including Winston. The 6-foot-2 junior had one interception, five pass breakups and 40 tackles last season, and scouts are enamored by his range and instincts. Winston has tools, but upping his forced turnover totals in 2024 will help him move up.”

Adds an unnamed scout for an AFC North franchise:

“No. 21 for Penn State is a baller. He’s a quarterback on the back end for them, and you see it with his positioning and how well he reads. The Georgia safety [Malaki Starks] is probably my No. 1, but Winston is a close second.”

Winston Jr., will lead a Penn State safeties room that also includes returning starter Jaylen Reed. Zakee Wheatley will be the team’s No. 3 safety in 2024 and is expected to play a lot, as well, as first-year defensive coordinator Tom Allen looks to utilize numerous three safety looks this fall.

Headlines of the day

Green Bay Packers QB Sean Clifford talks Drew Allar, record-setting career, more: McGonigal, PennLive

Penn State wrestling offseason outlook: Will Aaron Nagao man 133 again?: Pickel, BWI

Penn State’s Cheickna Traore Wins NCAA 200-Meter Title: Wogenrich, SI

PSU basketball: Mike Rhoades seeks ‘I got it’ approach from senior class: Bauer, BWI

Field Advertisements at Beaver Stadium? NCAA Rule Change Now Allows for It: Jones, Statecollege.com

Quote of the day

“I actually got back on campus in the spring and had some cool conversations with the coaching staff about what they’re trying to accomplish. I like how he dresses things up. He moves people around. He’s unconventional in different ways, but he’s going to run his base plays, which is kind of how Matt (LaFleur) gets the job done in Green Bay. It’s cool because seeing how NFL football works, if you go about your base plays and dress them up with a bunch of different motions and shifts, that causes a lot of confusion for the defense and allows the offensive guys to play fast. That was the sentiment I got when I was talking to those guys.”

—Former PSU and current Green Bay quarterback Sean Clifford to PennLive about what intrigues him about Andy Kotelnicki’s offense.

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