DL Robert Windsor Drafted 193rd Overall by Indianapolis Colts
Five years after coming to Penn State from Fond Du Lac, Wis., defensive lineman Robert Windsor is now headed to the NFL.
Selected with the 193rd overall pick in the sixth round of this year's NFL Draft, Windsor was taken by Indianapolis Colts Saturday.
At the NFL Combine, he measured 6-foot-4, 290 pounds. Windsor ran a 4.9-second 40-yard dash and had 21 reps on the bench press at 225 pounds.
After redshirting as a freshman, Windsor played in all 14 games the following season, earning honorable mention All-Big Ten freshman honors. He became a full-time starter in 2018, totaling 39 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks. That was arguably his best season at Penn State, earning Windsor second-team All-Big Ten honors by the Associated Press. In 2019, he totaled 40 tackles in 13 games but had just five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Windsor was named a third-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches.
For his career, he racked up 121 tackles for the Nittany Lions. 20 of those tackles were for a loss of yards, including 14 sacks. He also forced three fumbles and had three fumble recoveries.
Coming out of high school, Windsor was a late addition to Penn State's Class of 2015, which was James Franklin's first full class after coming over from Vanderbilt. He didn't earn an offer from the staff until January 2015, right after Rivals100 prospect and current Miami Dolphin DT Christian Wilkins decided to commit to Clemson instead of the Nittany Lions.
Windsor was then offered by in-state school Wisconsin about a week later. Many thought he'd end up with the Badgers, but after taking an official visit to Penn State just two weeks before signing day, he surprised many in deciding to join the Lions instead. Illinois, Iowa State, Maryland, Purdue and Vanderbilt were the only other Power Five schools to offer a scholarship.
After being selected Saturday, NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah called Windsor "a bull in a china shop."
"He's very strong at the point of attack," Jeremiah said. "He plays with phenomenal effort. The only problem is that he's sometimes on the ground a little too much. You want to see him [play] a little more balanced and a little more under control. But the effort is going max at all times with Robert Windsor. As a pass rusher, you're going to use him to create havoc and he's going to clean things up and let other guys do the finishing work."
BWI contributor Thomas Frank Carr's Analysis on Windsor:
A classic tweener with no defined position. Participating in the Combine was critical for Windsor and his results, along with his physical conditioning are big plusses. His length (6-4 with 33 inch arms) are also right in the sweet spot for a defensive lineman. The killer for Windsor is his clear and obvious lack of power. If he does not win with quickness off of the snap his options as a pass rusher are extremely limited. He does not have the size at 290 to hold up as a 3-technique defensive tackle either, While he’s a good athlete for his size, he does not fit the profile of an edge defender.
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