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Round 3

The Indianapolis Colts drafted TE Jelani Woods out of Virginia with the 73rd pick in the third round of the 2022 draft.

Jelani Woods

Height: 6’7

Weight: 253

Hand: 9 1/2

Arm: 34 1/2

Wingspan: 6’10

He ran a 4.61 40 and registered the first perfect RAS score as a TE.

Breaking Down Film 

Woods is a big TE, but he’s also very athletic, which is clearly evident from his RAS score. He runs routes particularly well for his size and has great hands. With his size and jumping abilities, he will have a good advantage in winning 50/50 balls against opposing defenders. Most of all, having a QB like Matt Ryan throw to him will be quite beneficial for him to have a solid rookie season.

In Woods’ pro day, you can see he was impressive on his vertical jump and his long jump turned heads with how he’s able use his big body. Then he moved to his cone drills and showed off his quick foot movement. His swift ability to turn the corners shows how smooth he can break in and out of routes to be a good target for Ryan.

When running some simple routes, the first one being a slant, then followed by a fly route thrown behind him, he showed how well he can adjust in the air to make tough catches. The next route was another simple one, but it showcased his strong ability to catch over the shoulder. He followed that with a toe touching catch in the end zone on a ball thrown high to test his elite vertical. With his 6’7 stature, Woods will be counted on to make those types of plays in red zone offense.

After showcasing his route running, he moved onto blocking, which is a field that will be very important for the Colts’ run-driven offense. Although just a drill, Woods’ blocking will require strong efficiency to move the ball down the field. If he’s going to mirror the success of the recently retired Jack Doyle, blocking will be just as not if more critical than pass catching. The clip ends with a coach/trainer holding his arms to show he can fight through contact and still make plays. Nonetheless, Woods showed great promise in hands, foot work, route running, and strength in his Virginia Pro Day.

My Thoughts 

Jelani Woods is big, long and can make big plays. He has shown that he can be versatile with lining up to catch or block, in addition to lining up in the slot looking like a WR. He even played QB in high school, so maybe we will have our own “Philly Special” this upcoming season. We have seen before what Matt Ryan can do with a great TE, and pairing Woods with Ryan could bode well for a sound rookie year here in Indianapolis. Having a 6’7 TE that’s able to move fast and adjust well to the ball gets a fan like me eagerly excited watch him play.

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