Isaiah

Winstead

The Steelers also waived CB Jaylon Guilbeau, S Jack Henderson, DB Brandon Hill, DB Tamon Lynum, DB Daryl Porter, OL Gregory Crippen, RB Alex Tecza, WR Jakobie Keeney-James and WR Isaiah Winstead. The Steelers released WR Cornell Powell

Winstead (6'3/215) entered the last season as Toledo’s leading returning receiver when he accrued 429 yards by securing 25-of-38 targets, a 66 percent catch rate and averaging 17.2 yards per catch to go with three touchdowns. However despite receiving a team-high 74 targets this season, Winstead was only able to catch 38 passes for 516 yards and 13.6 YPC with just one touchdown. His yards per route average plummeted from 2.36 Y/RR to 1.71 while his drop rate increased from 7.4 to 13.6 percent. He was surpassed in the pecking order by Matt Landers late in the year and will try to find a role as a deep threat somewhere else in 2022.

Toledo struggled offensively in this one, thanks in part to the seven sacks that quarterback Dequan Finn took in this one. Winstead’s (6'3/215) 104 receiving yards in this one was a season high, as he averaged 27 yards per reception with a long of 49 yards. Winstead now has 19 catches for 277 yards on the season, but is still waiting on his first score. Perhaps it comes next weekend when Toledo hosts Western Michigan.

McKinley-Lewis (5'11/190) had his best game of the season Saturday, establishing new highs in both receptions and receiving yards. And the redshirt senior fell just short of 200 total yards, as he returned five kickoffs for 76 yards. McKinley-Lewis was one of two Rockets to hit the 100-yard mark in the passing game, as Isaiah Winstead caught eight passes for 106 yards. McKinley-Lewis will look to complete his 2020 season on a high note next Saturday when the Rockets host Central Michigan.

Winstead (6'3/210) was still quite a bit short of his previous college best, as he once had 156 yards and two scores against Morgan State on Nov. 17, 2018 in a game for Norfolk State. He has found the end zone in back-to-back games, as he makes himself at home in the Toledo offense. The transfer from NSU sat out the entire 2019 season and worked his way up from scout team status to being a starter. He had a team-high 96 yards in a loss at Western Michigan, and he has rolled up 12 grabs for 269 yards and two scores over the past three outings.