The challenges have come one after another for Titans rookie safety Kevin Winston Jr. this year.

It was hard enough sitting out his entire first offseason — and part of training camp — because of the ACL injury he suffered last year at Penn State.

Once he was healthy, there was still the matter of a crash course in on-field adjustments to the NFL, not to mention a crowded safety depth chart that at one point included Xavier Woods, Amani Hooker, Quandre Diggs and Mike Brown, among others.

The latest hurdle for Winston, the team’s third-round pick in April?

The Titans have been using him extensively at the slot corner position for the past two weeks, regularly employing a three-safety alignment that gives the cornerback-depleted team some relief in the secondary — but one that has also added new responsibilities for Winston.

Instead of playing in the more traditional “box” or “free” safety spots, Winston’s role in the slot corner means he is positioned closer to the line of scrimmage than otherwise and must make quicker reactions to plays as a result.

“When you’re down there at the nickel spot, everything is happening much faster,” said Winston, who’s played a combined 92 snaps at the slot corner in the past two weeks.

“So you got to be able to think faster and see [signs] that are telling you things, to make sure you can react fast enough. But being able to do both has allowed me to be able to see the game better, understand how offenses are attacking.”

There have been predictable struggles in the early going for Winston, who is only a month removed from his first NFL start, Nov. 12 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

In his first game at the nickel corner, against Jacksonville, Winston allowed seven receptions on seven targets for 135 yards and two touchdowns, per Pro Football Focus. Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence posted a perfect 158.3 rating when targeting Winston, who recorded a 29.4 PFF coverage grade.

But the 6-2, 213-pound Winston still contributed, making eight tackles, while recording his first NFL sack and a quarterback pressure.

“It is a challenge … [and there are] new things that pop up on him,” Titans Defensive Coordinator Dennard Wilson said. “But the one thing you like about the kid, when he’s close to that line of scrimmage, he makes a lot of plays. His motor is unbelievable.”

Winston’s coverage grade improved to 70.5 last Sunday in Cleveland, thanks in part to a pair of passes defensed — one in the red zone against Browns running back Dylan Sampson. The Maryland native also recorded two tackles for loss and his fifth quarterback pressure of the season.

“He does a great job using what God gave him — height, speed and strength,” Hooker said. “Whenever he comes on a blitz, he’s tough to block for any running back in the league, a guy [his size] that can run like he can. He does a good job of disrupting the quarterback.”

Plenty of rookies would have floundered in their first year after missing the entire offseason, part of training camp and all the, in this case, Titans’ preseason contests.

But Winston kept his mind activated during that time, even if his body wouldn’t let him participate.

He stayed in Nashville all summer, meeting with secondary/safeties coach Steve Jackson every day to understand the Titans’ system. Winston then took advantage of having Diggs, Hooker and Woods as teammates, three players with a combined 27 years of NFL experience.

“Having those guys with their experience and wisdom, I was able to soak all that in and that gave me a boost in my development,” Winston said. “When I got out there, obviously I wasn’t up to [speed] right away, but it allowed me to have something I’d built up and to keep building on it.”

Added Hooker: “He asks a whole bunch of questions. He’s done a great job. It’s a testament to his love of the game.”

The 22-year-old Winston has already totaled 31 tackles (10th on the team) and five tackles for loss (tied for sixth), impressive numbers considering he has taken defensive snaps in only seven of the Titans’ 13 contests.

Wilson notes that Winston still has plenty to learn, both as a more traditional safety and in his newer role as a slot corner.

But after seeing the progress Winston has made in limited time, Wilson is optimistic the Titans have another building block for the future.

“I thought he took a step forward and got better this past game,” Wilson said. “For us [as a team] and for his development, it’s about him getting better every opportunity he has out there. But he loves the game. He’s passionate about it. And you just love his demeanor. He’s a tough guy.”