NFL Draft Profile: Dee Winters, Linebacker, TCU Horned Frogs
Dee Winters
TCU Horned Frogs
#13
Pos: LB
Ht: 5110
Wt: 227
Hand: 0858
Arm: 3158
Wing: 7500
40: 4.49
DOB: 10/17/2000
Hometown: Brenham, TX
High School: Burton
Eligibility: 2023
One-Liners
The size will always be a concern with Winters but he has great instincts and the mentality to survive as a rotational linebacker in the NFL.
Evaluation:
On film, Winters displays high quality instincts. He has a quick trigger and the explosion to come downhill extremely fast. Winters is able to shoot gaps at a high level and he has the closing burst to get to ball carriers. His tackling ability is fantastic, as he rarely missed a tackle in run defense. In open space his lack of length and size can lead to missed tackles but whoever drafts him is going to want to keep him near the line of scrimmage. Winters was always around the football on his tape. He has a great motor and combined with his explosion, Winters was able to make a lot of cleanup tackles. In coverage, Winters’ lack of high-end athleticism and size show up. He can cover running backs well enough because of his route recognition but he just wasn’t big enough to stay with tight ends. In zone coverage, Winters lacks a feel for where to be in deep zones but he was effective in short zones. At times in the run game, Winters was washed out of plays because of his lack of size. His play strength will help mitigate his lack of size but far too often he was washed out of plays when he wasn’t unblocked. When he had a free rush, his explosion, straight line speed and tackling ability led to big plays. Winters is going to be able to be an impact special teamer but there isn’t a ton of upside there. His lack of size showed up far too often and he isn’t a great athlete. With that being said, his instincts and tackling ability can allow him to be a rotational MIKE at the next level but Winters is a day three prospect.
Grade:
5th Round
Background:
Dee Winters finished his collegiate career at TCU. This past season he started in 15 games accumulating 79 total tackles (48 solo), 14.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 3 pass deflections, one fumble recovery, and one interception for a touchdown. In 2021, Winters started all 12 games and led TCU with 74 tackles. He also finished third on the team with 5.0 tackles for loss and closed the season with 167 career stops, the most among current Horned Frogs. Led all active TCU players with three career double-digit tackle games. In high school, he was rated by 247Sports in its composite rankings as the No. 40 athlete in the nation and No. 87 overall player in Texas.
