The first Golden Gopher is off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected the standout Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. with pick 45 in the 2nd Round.
Winfield Jr. is the son of three-time pro bowl Cornerback Antoine Winfield, who played nine seasons with the Vikings. He was a star at the University of Minnesota, being named a first team all American and Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year during the 2019 season.
The Columbus, Ohio native will be playing his home games in Raymond James Stadium, where he helped lead the Gophers to a upset over Auburn in the Outback Bowl in his final game as a Gopher. Head Coach P.J. Fleck shared his congratulations on Twitter.
Winfield Jr. is the highest Gopher draft pick since 2014.