Titans Place Safeties Kevin Winston, Xavier Woods, Mike Brown On IR
The Titans placed safeties Kevin Winston, Xavier Woods, and Mike Brown on injured reserve on Tuesday, per team writer Jim Wyatt.
All three went down in the Titans’ loss to the 49ers on Sunday and will be out for the rest of the season. Winston and Woods suffered hamstring injuries, while Brown hurt his ankle.
Winston and Woods combined for 16 starts and 839 snaps on defense this year and are the team’s sixth- and eighth-leading tacklers. Winston, a third-round rookie, had emerged as a full-time starter in the second half of the season, while Woods’ role has varied. Their absences will force Tennessee to start a different safety alongside Amani Hooker.
Brown could have fit the bill had he not been injured on Sunday, too. He played special teams almost exclusively this season, but last year, he occupied a 37% defensive snap share with 250 snaps at free safety, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). This is Brown’s second stint on IR this year; he previously suffered a knee injury in October and missed five games.
Kendell Brooks finished Sunday’s game at safety for the first significant defensive workload of his career. He could be tapped to start with Hooker in the next few weeks. Another option is former Seahawk Jerrick Reed, who has played a handful of defensive snaps in the last three years, but has primarily featured on special teams.
The Titans also added two safeties to their 53-man roster after placing Winston, Woods, and Brown on IR. 2023 sixth-rounder Erick Hallett, who started two games for the Lions amid their safety injuries this year, was signed off Detroit’s practice squad and could see playing time immediately. Tennesee also signed Sanoussi Kane off the Ravens’ practice squad; the 2024 seventh-rounder spent his rookie season as a core special teams contributor in Baltimore but was waived earlier this season in favor of undrafted rookie standout Keondre Jackson.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/9/25
We saw a busy day of 2025 NFL Draft pick signings today. Here are the mid- to late-round picks who inked their four-year rookie deals:
Arizona Cardinals
- OLB Jordan Burch (third round, Oregon)
- CB Denzel Burke (fifth round, Ohio State)
- G Hayden Conner (sixth round, Texas)
- S Kitan Crawford (seventh round, Nevada)
Buffalo Bills
- DE Landon Jackson (third round, Arkansas)
- CB Jordan Hancock (fifth round, Ohio State)
- TE Jackson Hawes (fifth round, Georgia Tech)
- CB Dorian Strong (sixth round, Virginia Tech)
- T Chase Lundt (sixth round, Connecticut)
- WR Kaden Prather (seventh round, Maryland)
Cincinnati Bengals
- G Dylan Fairchild (third round, Georgia)
- LB Barrett Carter (fourth round, Clemson)
- T Jalen Rivers (fifth round, Miami)
- RB Tahj Brooks (sixth round, Texas Tech)
Detroit Lions
- G Miles Frazier (fifth round, LSU)
- DE Ahmed Hassanein (sixth round, Boise State)
- S Dan Jackson (seventh round, Georgia)
- WR Dominic Lovett (seventh round, Georgia)
Houston Texans
- S Jaylen Reed (sixth round, Penn State)
- QB Graham Mertz (sixth round, Florida)
- DT Kyonte Hamilton (seventh round, Rutgers)
- TE Luke Lachey (seventh round, Iowa)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- CB Caleb Ransaw (third round, Tulane)
- G Wyatt Milum (third round (West Virginia)
- LB Jalen McLeod (sixth round, Auburn)
- S Rayuan Lane III (sixth round, Navy)
- C Jonah Monheim (seventh round, USC)
- RB LeQuint Allen (seventh round, Syracuse)
Las Vegas Raiders
- WR Dont’e Thornton Jr. (fourth round, Tennessee)
Los Angeles Chargers
- DT Jamaree Caldwell (third round, Oregon)
- OLB Kyle Kennard (fourth round, South Carolina)
- WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith (fifth round, Auburn)
- TE Oronde Gadsden II (fifth round, Syracuse)
- G Branson Taylor (sixth round, Pittsburgh)
- S RJ Mickens (sixth round, Clemson)
- S Trikweze Bridges (seventh round, Florida)
Minnesota Vikings
- WR Tai Felton (third round, Maryland)
- DE Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (fifth round, Georgia)
- LB Kobe King (sixth round, Penn State)
- TE Gavin Bartholomew (sixth round, Pittsburgh)
New England Patriots
- WR Kyle Williams (third round, Washington State)
- C Jared Wilson (third round, Georgia)
- DT Joshua Farmer (fourth round, Florida State)
- OLB Bradyn Swinson (fifth round, LSU)
- K Andy Borregales (sixth round, Miami)
- T Marcus Bryant (seventh round, Missouri)
- LS Julian Ashby (seventh round, Vanderbilt)
- CB Kobee Minor (seventh round, Memphis)
New York Giants
- G Marcus Mbow (fifth round, Purdue)
- TE Thomas Fidone II (seventh round, Nebraska)
New York Jets
- CB Korie Black (seventh round, Oklahoma State)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- RB Kaleb Johnson (third round, Iowa)
- OLB Jack Sawyer (fourth round, Ohio State)
- DT Yahya Black (fifth round, Iowa)
- QB Will Howard (sixth round, Ohio State)
- LB Carson Bruener (seventh round, Washington)
- CB Donte Kent (seventh round, Central Michigan)
San Francisco 49ers
- LB Nick Martin (third round, Oklahoma State)
- CB Upton Stout (third round, Western Kentucky)
- WR Jordan Watkins (fourth round, Ole Miss)
- RB Jordan James (fifth round, Oregon)
- S Marques Sigle (fifth round, Kansas State)
- G Connor Colby (seventh round, Iowa)
- WR Junior Bergen (seventh round, Montana)
Tennessee Titans
- S Kevin Winston Jr. (third round, Penn State)
- WR Elic Ayomanor (fourth round, Stanford)
- G Jackson Slater (fifth round, Sacramento State)
- CB Marcus Harris (sixth round, California)
- RB Kalel Mullings (sixth round, Michigan)
Washington Commanders
- WR Jaylin Lane (fourth round, Virginia Tech)
- LB Kain Medrano (sixth round, UCLA)
- RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt (seventh round, Arizona)
Penn State S Kevin Winston Jr. Declares For 2025 Draft
Kevin Winston Jr. did not have the 2024 season he hoped for, but he has elected to turn pro. The Penn State junior announced on Thursday is headed to the NFL draft.
“After much thought and prayer, I’m excited to announce that I’ll be declaring for the 2025 NFL draft,” Winston’s statement reads in part. “This has been my dream for as long as I can remember, and I’m ready to embrace this next challenge with the same dedication and heart that got me to this point.”
Winston suffered a partial ACL tear earlier this season, limiting him to only three games played. He will not be available to the Nittany Lions during their upcoming playoff games, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Winston should receive full clearance by March 1. That would allow for him to participate in the NFL Combine later that month.
A former four-star recruit, Winston played sparingly during his freshman season. He took on a much larger workload last year, however, establishing himself as a full-time starter. Winston led the team in tackles with 61, adding one interception, five pass breakups and three tackles for loss along the way. That production led to All-Big Ten honorable mentions and elevated expectations for 2024.
Due to the injury, though, Winston’s attention for the past several months has been focused solely on recovery. Provided he is cleared to take part in pre-draft workouts, he will be able to help rebuild his stock. The 6-2, 201-pounder has the size to be a regular contributor on defense at the NFL level, and Scouts Inc. has him listed as this year’s third-ranked safety. Especially if everything plays out well on the health front, he should hear his name called on Day 2 of the draft.