The Browns opened Day 3 of the NFL Draft by selecting DT Perrion Winfrey with the 108th overall pick.
Here's five things to know about Cleveland's newest defensive tackle.
1. Winfrey was one of the top DT prospects of the draft class
The Athletic's Dane Brugler ranked Winfrey as the fourth-best DT prospect in his annual draft rankings, “The Beast,” and Winfrey was a common prediction to head to the Browns — at 44th overall.
Not many expected Winfrey to be available come Day 3, but the Browns snatched him quickly with the third pick of the fourth round. He was the sixth defensive tackle taken in the draft and was one of the leaner prospects at the position at 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds. He was largely expected to be drafted in the second round, so the Browns might've come away with one of the top value picks of Day 3.
2. He gave a big boost to his stock at Senior Bowl
Winfrey was named the MVP of the Reese's Senior Bowl and displayed some of his strength and ability to make the most of a gargantuan 85-inch wingspan. He shot up draft boards as a result, and some draft analysts believe Winfrey might've had some untapped potential from his time at Oklahoma, where he recorded 17 tackles for a loss, 42 tackles and six sacks. He earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors in both of his years in the conference.
3. He started his college career at the JUCO level
Winfrey, a native of Maywood, Illinois, was a three-star defensive tackle recruit out of Lake Park High School and the 49th recruit in the state in 2018. He received offers from Power 5 programs but wasn't expected to be a starter due to his academics, so he attended Iowa Western Community College for his first two college seasons. He made the switch to Oklahoma his junior season and was an instant-starter.
On an electric Zoom call, which we'll discuss next, Winfrey said his JUCO path fueled him even more to put the work into cracking the NFL.
"It turned me up another notch. It brought me to a place that I probably would never have been able to go to if I had not gone to JUCO. It just let me know that there is always going to be adversity in your life, and what are you going to do to let that adversity shape you? Are you going to let it shape you in a positive way or a negative way? That adversity shaped me in a positive way."
4. Winfrey is absolutely fired up to be a Brown
If you haven't watched his opening Zoom call with reporters yet, you need to watch it right now.
Winfrey's call was as energetic as it gets. He said the word "dawg" eight times and threw in a few bark sounds, including one resounding bark to end the call. Among his other best lines…
"I'm going to come in and work every single day until I can't work anymore. They will feel me every single day, sir. I am going to give it my all on and off the field. Anything that is a negative in my game, I will turn it into a positive by the beginning of the season."
"This is me. 100-percent concentrated. No smoke. This is how I wake up – juiced up. To be honest, I just woke up at 10:40 a.m. It's 11:30 a.m., and I'm juiced. No coffee needed."
5. And he's most fired up to play next to Myles Garrett
Winfrey gave some of his most energetic responses when he was asked about playing next to Garrett.
"I will look to the left of me, and I have No. 95 right there," he said. "Oh, it's over with. Oh, it's over with. Every third down, every second down, every first down, man, we are going to get that ball – I'm telling you."
Winfrey said he hasn't met Garrett yet, but he did meet CB Greg Newsome II from his high school days. Both players played in the Chicago area — Newsome went to Glenbard North before attending IMG Academy.
"We have always supported each other's careers," he said. "We have always been close friends. He texted me yesterday, and he said, 'I want you to be a dawg.' Come on now. I am a dawg now."
