One Kevin Winston Jr. Stat Proves He's Being Overlooked Ahead of 2026

Kevin Winston Jr. could be a huge difference-maker in 2026, and many fans probably don't realize one impressive stat from 2025.

Nov 16, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Winston Jr. (23) and cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. (39) run onto the field before the game against the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

As we approach the start of the 2026 season, there are plenty of players on the Tennessee Titans to keep an eye on.

Obviously, everybody wants to see if Cam Ward can take a step forward and prove he's the franchise passer. Rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate will have a lot of eyes on him, as will the new-look defense. However, there's one player who was on the team in 2025 who could end up being the most overlooked difference-maker in 2026: Kevin Winston Jr.

Winston is slated to be the starting safety next to veteran Amani Hooker. We didn't even get to see a full season from him as a rookie, though, as injuries limited him to 10 games. Regardless, I'm confident that Winston will hold his own in 2026, and there's one impressive stat that I think proves it.

Winston was Elite Against the Run in 2025

Dec 7, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (44) runs with the ball against Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Winston Jr. (23) during the second quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

In 2025, according to Pro Football Focus, Winston earned an elite 89.4 run-defense grade. That was the best grade out of every qualified safety in the league. Granted, it wasn't the biggest sample size, as Winston played the 97th-most snaps out of 179 safeties.

Still, it's impressive what Winston was able to do with limited snaps, especially coming off injury. There's plenty of reason to think Winston can be elite against the run again in, which would be ideal for the Titans.

We already can feel pretty good about the Titans' run defense. Jeffery Simmons and John Franklin-Myers can clog lanes in the middle, while rookie edge rusher Keldric Faulk is underrated against the run as well. If Winston can lock down the secondary, it will be very hard to run on this unit.

But that's not even the only impressive Winston stat. The Penn State product didn't miss a single tackle as a rookie, ending with a 100% tackle percentage. That's incredibly impressive for a rookie transitioning to the NFL, and shows why teams thought so highly of him ahead of the 2025 draft.

Room for Improvement

Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins (10) picks up a first down ahead of Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Winston Jr. (23) during the first half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Dec. 7, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Based off the evidence we have, we can assume that, at worst, Winston will be a good run defender in 2026. Now, where the rookie struggled, was in pass coverage. PFF gave Winston a 44.5 grade in this area, which ranked 90th among 98 qualified safeties.

Clearly there's room for Winston to improve in this area. If he can improve his performance in coverage while maintaining his elite run defense, he can legitimately turn into one of the best young safeties in the game.

Again, I know we didn't get a full season from Winston, but 10 games is not nothing. We saw enough flashes that it's not crazy at all to believe in Winston long-term.