Oklahoma Football: Top 3 Prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft

Perrion Winfrey – Defensive Tackle

The Sooners are no stranger to developing high-caliber defensive players for the NFL. At the defensive tackle, the Sooners seem to develop a highly efficient defensive tackle every five years.

The last OU defensive tackle drafted in the first round was Gerald McCoy with the third overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Senior Perrion Winfrey has the potential to become the highest selected since then.

Winfrey is a different interior defensive lineman than what the Sooners are accustomed to. He is a big body defender that has impressive speed and a quick first step at the snap of the ball.

Winfrey is also agile and highly athletic as he can make moves to get past the blocking of the opposing offensive lineman. He has the rare blend of a huge frame at 290 pounds (losing weight since last season), brute strength, explosiveness, and the ability to separate himself from the blockers. In short, he’s nearly unblockable.

In the nine games played last season for the Sooners, Winfrey accounted for 17 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and three pass deflections. In a season where he came in as a transfer from Iowa Western Community College with no offseason preparations, Winfrey had a slow start. He is using this offseason to become a more explosive and consistent playmaker.

His draft stock is rising significantly. He is regarded by Sporting News as the second-ranked defensive tackle in the 2022 NFL Draft. He is also ranked as the 20th overall prospect by Sporting News. With the Sooners expected to have a much more efficient defense in 2021, Winfrey could find himself in a much more likely position to see his draft stock rise.