Here’s what the Indianapolis Colts are getting in 6th-round NFL draft pick DT Robert Windsor

Penn State defensive tackle Robert Windsor traveled a long road to become a college starter and, now, the defender is officially taking his talents to the next level.

The redshirt senior was picked by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL draft Saturday, becoming the No. 193 overall selection. He was the fifth Nittany Lion off the board, after DE Yetur Gross-Matos (second round), WR KJ Hamler (second round) , CB John Reid (fourth round) and LB Cam Brown (sixth round).

According to scouts, coaches and teammates, the Colts are getting a quick, smart and determined athlete.

“He’s scientific about everything he does, almost to a fault,” said former PSU defensive line coach Sean Spencer, who’s now with the New York Giants. “He analyzes everything. You kind of look at him and say, ‘That’s not the type of guy he is.’ But he’s very, very bright in the football world and outside of the football world.”

Added Penn State DT PJ Mustipher: “He was willing to sacrifice to get where he’s at today.”

He arrived in Happy Valley as a three-star defensive tackle with little fanfare and limited playing time his first three seasons. But, as a redshirt junior in 2018, he burst on to the scene with 11 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

That offseason, former NFL exec Gil Brandt called him the fifth-best senior DT prospect in the NFL draft. Windsor’s production then fell off his senior season, to five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, causing some experts to caution that he can disappear at times.

But ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper still had him ranked as a top-10 defensive tackle until at least March, before sliding him down. Other analysts said he’s more powerful than explosive and would likely act as a situational player and run-stopper.

“He’s a physical guy that really hustles,” said former NFL scout Dan Shonka, the general manager of OurLads.com. “If you look at the Iowa game, he just killed Iowa. He looked dominant in that game. He showed some quick movement off the ball. He uses his hands pretty well. He’s got quick and strong hands.”

The 290-pound DT caught some attention at the NFL combine after clocking a 4.9-second 40-yard dash. His 20-yard shuttle (4.44) was also the eighth-best among the 26 defensive linemen who took part.

“That’s an outstanding time,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said, referring to the 40. Jeremiah also called his 10-yard split of 1.74 “pretty good.”

Windsor was widely regarded as a Day-3 pick, largely somewhere around the sixth round. He doesn’t have great length or size, he’s not overly explosive, and his technique could use work. But he’s a high-motor player and a hard worker in everything he does — from his diet to the weight room.

And, now, because of that, he’s an NFL player.

“He’s earned this. He really has,” Penn State coach James Franklin said last season, referring to his late-career success. “He’s earned the respect of his teammates and coaches and obviously he’s gotten every better every single year and this last year he’s really put it all together.”

This story was originally published April 25, 2020 at 4:21 PM.