Indianapolis Colts tight end Jelani Woods enters his second season in the NFL coming off a rookie season that included plenty of flashes but not enough opportunities.
The third-round pick from the 2022 NFL draft made some electric plays as a receiving tight end during what was a tumultuous season in the Circle City, and he may just be primed for a breakout.
Beat writers for The Athletic listed their breakout candidates for the teams they cover. For the Colts, James Boyd had the uber-athletic tight end in mind.
Jonathan Taylor was the first player who came to mind, but he’s already proven he’s a star when healthy. Woods, on the other hand, is a true breakout candidate. The second-year tight end was sidelined with a hamstring injury during OTAs and veteran minicamp, so we haven’t seen what he’s capable of in new coach Shane Steichen’s offense. However, Steichen has always made tight ends a focal point, and Woods’ size and speed should make him a perpetual mismatch in the new system. Woods, 24, totaled 25 catches for 312 yards and three touchdowns in 2022.
Woods is a solid choice as a breakout candidate even if the passing attack has some pretty big question marks this season.
Betting on second-year tight ends who are elite athletes is typically a strong move. Woods has the type of size, speed and catch radius that should help rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson improve his accuracy over the middle of the field and in the intermediate areas—which is where he struggled most in college.
Though Mo Alie-Cox currently projects to be the starting Y tight end in Shane Steichen’s offense, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if Woods gave him some serious competition for the role if he has taken the next step in his game.
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