JT Woods was a third-round pick under Brandon Staley and will now have to earn his spot under a new coaching staff.
JT Woods hails from San Antonio, Texas where he played at nearby Steele High School as a two-way player. He helped lead his team to 23-7 record across his junior and senior season while totaling 123 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, and one interception on defense. Rated as the 55th-ranked safety in the country by ESPN and a three-star recruit, Woods decided to stay in Texas by committing to play for the Baylor Bears.
As a true freshman, Woods saw the field in all 13 games, finishing with 18 total tackles, one tackle for loss, and two pass breakups. He earned the first five starts of his career as a sophomore in 2019 and pushed his production to 36 tackles with three forced fumbles.
During the abbreviated 2020 season, Woods started all of the team’s nine contests and was named an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection after putting up 36 tackles, three interceptions, and a pass breakup.
Woods capped his Baylor career with a big-time season in 2021 as he ended up leading the Big 12 with six interceptions to go with 57 total tackles. His efforts once again earned him honorable mention all-conference honors and an invite to the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
After a strong performance in the all-star showcase, including a game-sealing interception, Woods was selected by the Chargers in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft. As a rookie, Woods saw time in 10 games with one start and finished the year with three tackles.
Woods only played in three games and recorded just five tackles during his sophomore season.
Basic Info
Height: 6’2
Weight: 193
College: Baylor
Experience: 2
Years with team: 2
Contract Status
“JT Woods signed a 4 year , $5,276,442 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including $1,017,412 signing bonus, $1,017,412 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $1,319,111. In 2024, Woods will earn a base salary of $1,184,677, while carrying a cap hit of $1,439,030 and a dead cap value of $508,706.” – Spotrac.com
The Good
The Chargers reached a bit on Woods due to his elite athleticism combined with solid physical traits. He’s taller at 6’2 and a bit slender at 193 but his potential to be a rangy ballhawk on the back end playing off safety-mate Derwin James likely spurred on the team to grab him where they did. His 4.38 in the 40 at the NFL Combine wasn’t too shabby, either.
JT WOODS INT!#Baylor leads 7-3 #SicEm pic.twitter.com/8hMS3QMzpg
— Nitrobetting.eu Sportsbook (@BtcNitrobetting) December 4, 2021
The Bad
Woods was the team’s second-highest draft pick in 2022 after they traded away their second-rounder in the deal for Khalil Mack. Unfortunately, Woods barely saw the field in his first year due to being a massive liability as a tackler. In the very first preseason game of 2022, Woods missed a sure tackle on the sideline by not wrapping up which allowed a Rams receiver to stroll into the end zone without much effort. When he saw time on defense during the regular season, he allowed another long touchdown when he tried to throw a shoulder into DeAndre Hopkins who simply spun off of it before finding the end zone.
During his sophomore season, Woods allowed two completions on three targets thrown his way and missed one tackle in 60 total snaps played.
Odds of making the roster/What to expect in 2023?
Former UDFA safety AJ Finley has reportedly been gaining distance in the race for the team’s third safety spot and you got to wonder just how much veteran Tony Jefferson has done to potentially warrant his own roster spot. Woods has been more of a liability than anything else since joining the Chargers and that means there’s no real feeling of wasted investment if he does not make the team. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Woods cut when it’s all said and done.