Jelani Woods NFL Draft Overview
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 275 pounds
Position: Tight End
School: Virginia
Jelani Woods 2022 NFL Draft Profile
One of the more under-the-radar prospects in this year’s draft class, Jelani Woods has soared up draft boards over the course of his pre-draft testing. The former Virginia Cavalier has had to wait for his opportunity and made the most of his chance in 2021. Initially, Woods played his first three years at Oklahoma State, earning just 361 yards and four touchdowns off of 31 receptions in 22 career games. At Virginia, Woods converted 44 receptions into 598 yards and eight touchdowns.
His eight touchdowns came in eight of the Cavaliers’ 11 games and he posted his lone 100+ yard game against Illinois. Woods led all receivers in that game with 122 yards and one touchdown. Starting his college football career as a quarterback prospect headed to Oklahoma State, Woods made the switch to tight end, transferred to Virginia, and has become a sneaky favorite among mid-round tight ends. He earned First-Team All-ACC honors for his play in 2021.
Strengths
- 4.61 speed
- Good height and size to be a Red Zone mismatch
- Good contested catchability
- Catches the ball away from his body
- Raw strength in protection
- Tough to bring down after the catch
- Big hands
Weaknesses
- Extremely raw as a prospect
- Does not quite play to his speed on the field
- Needs to work on his hands in protection
- Route running is predictable
- Hands still seem a bit unnatural
- Not a huge YAC threat
NFL Comparison: David Njoku
Teams With Need at Position: Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Projection: Fourth round
Bottom Line on Jelani Woods
This draft class is not rife with proven, elite tight-end talent, which is great for athletic talents like Woods. He was virtually unknown until he tested well and earned himself a perfect 10.0 RAS (just one of three and first since 2011). If there are teams who put stock in breakout age, Woods will not be their guy, considering it took him until his redshirt senior year to produce.
In the NFL, Woods currently projects as a second tight end who still needs to develop. His massive frame is still a bit underdeveloped, his route-running is rough, and his hands are not natural. However, Woods has an athletic profile that will be enough to justify a team taking a chance on him. NFL teams love big-bodied Red Zone threats who can lumber up the seam.
It is no coincidence that Woods has jumped nearly 100 spots in consensus mock drafts in the months leading up to the draft. He will be perfect for any team looking to add depth in the tight end room without the expectation of immediate productivity. As it is, tight ends usually break out in their second year. So, any team that selects Woods early on day three will have a plan in place to fully develop him while utilizing his natural athletic abilities and size. He will be viewed as a developmental Y tight end who can get by with his blocking abilities. Woods is projected as the sixth-best tight end in his class. He will make a team quite happy with his natural abilities and will be a great value in the middle rounds of the draft.
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