MorKnolle said:
Thanks for the medical info on this. Despite how poorly most people seem to think Winston played last year, he was voted ACC OLineman of the year over the almighty D'Brickashaw Ferguson and everyone else in the conference. Also, before his injury he was regarded as the best OLineman in NCAA along with Robert Gallery, and that was just Winston's sophomore year and 1st year as a full-time OT (he came into college at a TE).
I couldn't help but post this entire draft profile
(Fox Sports) on Winston which I came across a while back.........and he's Texas home grown :
Eric Winston Draft Profile
ERIC WINSTON
Offensive Tackle
University of Miami Hurricanes
#74
6:06.5-310
Midland, Texas
Lee High School
OVERVIEW
Winston reclaimed his position as one of the best offensive tackles in college football in 2005, proving that he was fully recovered from a knee injury that cost him most of his 2004 season. The former tight end made a successful move to tackle in 2003 and became a dominating presence and the Hurricanes' most vocal leader. He has the size, athletic ability, intelligence and work ethic that position coach Art Kehoe compares to Bryant McKinnie and Leon Searcy, calling them the three best offensive tackles in UM history.
Winston led the Lee High School team to three Texas Class 5A titles in four seasons, competing as a tight end and defensive end. He earned Super Prep National Elite 50 Team and Prep Stars Top 125 Dream Team honors and was rated the second-best tight end in the country by both of those recruiting services. Tom Lemming rated Winston the best tight end in the high school ranks and he was an All-America pick by Prep Football Report.
The Dallas Morning News National Top 100 choice was a first-team All-America pick by ESPN.com and a two-time first-team All-State selection by the Texas Sportswriters Association. He added first-team All-USA Today honors as he caught 20 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns as a senior. He also made 13 catches for 325 yards and a score as a junior.
Winston chose Miami over Texas A&M, Louisiana State and Texas, appearing in 13 games as a reserve tight end in 2002. He finished the season with 13 yards on a pair of catches, moving to tackle after the season. He quickly adapted to playing on the offensive line, ranking second on the squad with 46 key blocks.
Winston started the first four games of the 2004 season at left tackle before a knee injury vs. Georgia Tech forced him to miss the rest of the season. He returned to action in 2005 and continued to improve as the season progressed. He was named the Atlantic Coast Conference's Jacobs Trophy winner, given to the conference's top offensive lineman. He ended his career with 61 key blocks and also saw action at tight end in several formations to take advantage of his quickness.
ANALYSIS
Positives: Has a tall, wide frame with good shoulder width, tight waist and good knee bend...Has good body control and change of direction agility....Shows an explosive burst off the snap and very good sustained speed to get into the second level...Plays flat-footed, showing no problems redirecting...Has above average agility in his kick slide, doing a very good job of sinking his hips, dropping his weight and bending his knees while generating enough strength to anchor...His suddenness off the ball allows him to create and hold open the rush lanes...Shows a sudden burst to gain advantage and his quick feet will generally see him gain position when blocking in-line...Adept in sliding out to pick up edge rushers in pass protection...Has ease of movement redirecting in either direction and accelerates instantly when stalking defenders in the second level...Positions himself well and gets his hands up quickly on the rise, generating strength with quickness to impact, pop and surge with sudden force...Displays very good hip and leg explosion, as well as a strong jolt with his hand punch...Good in-line blocker, possessing a wide base as he runs his feet well...Has the athleticism to stay up and play the game on his feet and is capable of coming off the snap smoothly to pull...Does a good job of initiating contact and following through with his hand placement and leg drive to sustain...Strong enough to stay up in his stance, maintaining proper pad level to keep his feet and adjust on the move...The thing you notice on film is his ability to consistently take good blocking angles to neutralize and cut off linebackers. His athletic ability is shown when he makes quick adjustments to pick up secondary defenders downfield...Keeps his head on a swivel, showing above average reactions and awareness on both running and passing plays...Has no problems handling movement, as his kick slide allows him to adjust laterally...Shows explosion and flexibility when changing direction.
Negatives: His tall, angular frame makes him appear too lean for the left tackle position and his skinny legs and no stomach give him more of an appearance of a basketball player, reminding some of former Chicago Bears bust Troy Auzenne (1992-96)...More of a finesse-type player and will not be confused for a mauler...Needs to play with more aggression...Still learning the blocking schemes and struggled some with his kick slide early in 2005, as his timed speed does not always translate to the field...Works to sustain, but fails to dominate, as he lacks the arm reach and extension to lock on, steer and drive the defender off the ball...Needs to add lower body power, as he can be stood up vs. a strong bull rush due to marginal leg base and anchor...Short-arms quite a bit in pass protection, allowing defenders to slip off some blocks, and has trouble making reach blocks, especially when working off the edge...Still learning the "little tricks" like getting underneath to grab and ride the defender out.
Winston is a rare-sized athlete, but his tall, angular frame makes him appear too lean to play the left tackle position. He has very good flexibility, stays low in his pads and shows ease of movement changing directions. Winston has above average balance that gives him the ability to adjust on the move. His initial quickness allows him to explode into the defender coming off the snap.
Winston is rarely beaten to the tackle set-point by quicker defensive ends, as he shows the foot agility to mirror. His flexibility allows him to easily adjust when working in space. The thing you love about this kid is that he works extremely hard to improve. On run blocks, he shows above average quickness, but needs to get his hands on defenders quicker, generate a stronger base on drive blocks and improve his leg drive to get movement. He can run his feet, stay up and sustain his blocks, but is not as tough and aggressive as you would like to see when attempting to finish.
Winston does a very good job of chipping and getting to the second level, showing the ability to break down and stay under control. He is quick getting out in front to pull, runs well in the open and has the body control to turn up the hole. He is adept at hitting a moving target in space and overall, does a solid job in pass protection, thanks to his quick feet, knee bend, patience and ability to sink his hips.
Winston has the body control to redirect and has strong hands, but needs to generate better pop and deliver the hand punch quicker. He gets good hand positioning and shows explosion with his punch to jolt and gain control, but sometimes will drop his hands and fail to reload. He is still learning the "little tricks" like getting underneath to grab and ride the defender out, but continues to make steady progress. He might have to shift inside in the pros, as his arms are shorter than ideal, posing some problems making the reach block.
Winston can make a very nice tackle-eligible performer, as he has large, natural hands to extend for the ball away from the body. He is an excellent worker on the practice field and in the weight room and a quiet leader with outstanding work ethic. Winston wins sprints in practices and does the little extras in the weight room to improve.
Winston will need to bulk up or possibly shift positions at the next level, as he does not have the size yet to handle big, physical defenders, but he shows great determination. He earned the ACC Jacobs Trophy, and if you believe the school's publicity department that he allowed only 0.5 sacks in 2005. He actually allowed 3.5 sacks, but most came early in the season while he was still rounding into playing shape.
INJURY REPORT
2004: Sat out the final eight games of the season after he suffered a left knee torn anterior cruciate ligament vs. Georgia Tech (10/02).
2006: Could not lift at the NFL scouting combine due to a left pectoral muscle strain.
CAREER NOTES
Began his Miami career as a tight end and still saw action at that position in several formations, taking advantage of his quickness...Was often lined up alongside fellow tackle Rashad Butler in an overbalanced line (and sometimes alongside two other tackles).
AGILITY TESTS
Combine: 4.96 in the 40-yard dash...2.82 20-yard dash...1.67 10-yard dash...29-inch vertical jump...9'0" broad jump...4.44 20-yard shuttle...7.47 three-cone drill.
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Lee (Midland, Tex.) High School, playing football for head coach John Parchman...Led the team to three Texas Class 5A titles in four seasons, competing as a tight end and defensive end...Earned Super Prep National Elite 50 Team and Prep Stars Top 125 Dream Team honors and was rated the second-best tight end in the country by both of those recruiting services...Tom Lemming rated Winston the best tight end in the high school ranks...He was an All-America pick by Prep Football Report...The Dallas Morning News National Top 100 choice was a first-team All-America pick by ESPN.com and a two-time first-team All-State selection by the Texas Sportswriters Association... Added first-team All-USA Today honors as he caught 20 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns as a senior...Made 13 catches for 325 yards and a score as a junior.
PERSONAL
Finance major...Son of Julie Syptak and Robert Winston...Born 11/17/83...Resides in Midland, Texas.
