GREEN BAY, Wis. – Penn State football defensive back Kevin Winston Jr. was selected in the third round (82nd overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans on Friday.
With defensive end Abdul Carter (3rd overall, New York Giants), tight end Tyler Warren (14th overall, Indianapolis Colts) and Winston, Penn State has at least three selections in the first two days of the NFL Draft for the fifth-straight season.
Winston’s selection marks the fourth-straight season Penn State has had a defensive back picked. Penn State joins Cal, Georgia and Michigan as the only schools with a defensive back drafted in each of the last four years.
Since 2015, Penn State has had 15 defensive backs selected in the NFL Draft. That is the most in the Big Ten and ranks second among FBS teams, trailing only Alabama (18).
Penn State is one of two schools that has had a player selected among the first three rounds of the NFL Draft in 20-straight years, joining LSU and USC.
The Nittany Lions have a total of 47 players who have been drafted in the last eight NFL drafts, the most in an eight-year span for the program since 1990-97 (49 picks).
A total of 391 Nittany Lions have been selected all-time in the NFL Draft, which ranks seventh among Division I institutions. Penn State has had 56 players selected since James Franklin’s arrival to the program in 2014, including 25 taken on the first two days of the draft. In that span, Franklin has the most defensive backs selected (15) among active FBS head coaches.
Kevin Winston Jr.
Winston is Penn State’s 42nd defensive back selected in the NFL Draft. He is the 15th defensive back selected in the James Franklin era, most among active FBS head coaches since 2015.
He is the 15th Nittany Lion to be selected by the Titans all-time and the first since DT Austin Johnson (2nd Round) in 2016.
“I couldn’t be happier for KJ Winston and his family for earning this opportunity in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans,” said Franklin. “He earned All-Big Ten honors as a safety for us and has elite athleticism, is extremely competitive, driven, has a high football IQ, and his love of the game shows in his focus and preparation. He earned the respect of the locker room through his leadership and was voted a team captain for us. KJ will be a tremendous representative of the Titans organization. We Are!”
"KJ Winston is as athletic as they come at the safety position,” said co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Anthony Poindexter. “He is ready for this opportunity with the Titans. He is intentional about everything, takes the game of football very seriously, and carries himself in a truly professional manner. He is an extremely hard worker who loves studying the game, being in the facility, and being around his teammates. He showed tremendous growth during his three years with us, and I know the best is still ahead for him. He is going to have an extremely successful NFL career."
Kevin Winston Jr. · S · 6-2 · 208 · Columbia, Md. · DeMatha Catholic
- Made 13 tackles and forced a fumble in three games in 2024.
- Earned All-Big Ten honorable mention laurels from the coaches and media.
- Started all 13 games at safety in 2023.
- Made a team-high 60 tackles (35 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, an interception and five pass breakups.
- Appeared in 12 games as a true freshman in 2022, making 16 tackles (11 solo) with a tackle for loss.
Penn State opens the 2025 campaign against Nevada on Saturday, August 30.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and ticket information for the 2025 Penn State Football season presented by PSECU, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.