Report: Antoine Winfield Jr. recently has spoken on the phone with the Vikings

Former Gophers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. — who grew up rooting for the Vikings with his father, Antoine Sr., playing on the team — has reportedly had a phone conversation with a couple Vikings team employees.

According to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, Winfield Jr. has talked over the phone with Minnesota’s director of scouting Jamaal Stephenson, and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones.

With the draft approaching, University of Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr. told me he recently has spoken on the phone with #Vikings director of scouting Jamaal Stephenson and with defensive backs coach Daronte Jones.

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) April 15, 2020

Winfield Jr.’s draft stock would probably be higher, but some consider him undersized with a history of injuries. However, Winfield Jr. tallied three sacks and seven interceptions in 2019. He has shown that he can be dependable when he plays.

If safety Anthony Harris’ future comes into question, I could see Winfield Jr. being a good fit for the Vikings. He had this to say about Minnesota at the NFL Combine:

“That would be incredible to play for Minnesota after watching them all these years,” Winfield told reporters.