The Los Angeles Chargers were expected to add to their secondary in the draft.
After using their first-round selection on offensive lineman Zion Johnson and being left waiting without a pick through the second round, the Chargers eventually took Baylor safety J.T. Woods at No. 79 overall.
Woods fits Brandon Staley’s preference for defensive playmakers. He stands at 6’2” and weighs 195 pounds with 32 ⅜” arms. However, his athleticism is likely what won the Chargers over. Woods, a track star in addition to his football duties for the Bears, blazed through the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine with a 4.36-second time. He also recorded a 39.5” vertical and 128” broad jump.
The movement skills pop on tape. Woods surges to the football with forward momentum and trigger. He charges downhill with ferocious intent when assisting in run support and is able to coast with receivers to eliminate vertical threats. If Woods does manage to get beat, his gears shift rapidly to make up lost ground and vacuum up gaps of separation.
A nice play from new Chargers Safety JT Woods. A little false step, but overall good recognition, gets downhill quickly and takes a good angle to make the tackle. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/Ccgcczt3LS
— Daniel Wade (@dantalkssports) April 30, 2022
Take this tackle in open space against TCU in 2021, for example. Woods was a little late reacting to the ball carrier with his initial first step backward, but his superb athleticism made up for the error as he flew downfield to stop the running back for a tackle for loss. Woods was able to close the 12 yards of space quickly with minimal strain.
Woods’ speed and reactiveness show up in short passing game situations as well. He flows to routes entering into his zone over the and is able to multitask well with eyes on the quarterback. While he isn’t the most comfortable diagramming route concepts before they develop, Woods has an uncanny sense to be in the right place at a fortuitous time to turn errant throws or muffed caches into punishing takeaways and stellar field position for the offense.
New Chargers safety JT Woods is the ultimate centerfielder lurker.
Woods flows to routes over the middle with ease and often finds himself in opportunistic situations to make impact takeaways with his fantastic ball skills and elite speed. pic.twitter.com/pGOeKmwHv0
— Cole Topham (@HamAnalysis) April 30, 2022
Those attributes were on display during his interception against the Texas Longhorns last season, where Woods corralled a glancing pass and zoomed down the field to put Baylor in field goal position before halftime. As Woods closed in on the intended target, he was able to secure the ball in stride and immediately reach top speed. This ensured he would not only gain yards on the interception but also put him in a prime position to step out of bounds and preserve the clock.
Matt Corral’s first throw of the game is an INT 😬 let’s see if/how he bounces back.
Shoutout my guy JT Woods with the high point for the pick 👀 pic.twitter.com/7MvAHBnrAC
— Jordan Pun (@Texans_Thoughts) January 2, 2022
Woods was aptly nicknamed “The Heartbreak Kid” by the Baylor coaching staff because of his knack for picking off quarterbacks and ending promising drives for the offense. He is excellent at tracking throw trajectories and is aggressive going up for the ball. On this interception against Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral, Woods outjumps everybody on the field to high point the ball and hang on through incidental contact.
Woods has several areas to work on in order to become a consistent defensive piece for the Chargers. He needs to improve his reliability as a tackler and refine his technique as well as his approach in coverage. Woods tends to frequently rely on his traits and instincts, so building up his football IQ and overall anticipation will be key. Sometimes, he arrives at the ball with too much heat, which can lead to missed tackles or blown plays if faced with adjustment.
However, Woods is a great fit for Staley’s scheme and the type of defense the Chargers like to play. His athleticism can wear many hats for the unit, prey on quarterbacks, and create game-changing turnovers. Along with Derwin James, J.C. Jackson, and Asante Samuel, Woods joins a Chargers secondary loaded to the brim with lockdown potential and explosive playmaking ability.
