After a rough rookie season, the Chargers are expecting a full rebound from safety JT Woods.
Woods, a third-round pick in 2022, was taken to play him as the deep safety to allow Derwin James to move all over the field. But that never came to fruition. Woods struggled in his limited snaps, particularly as a tackler.
With James and Alohi Gilman slated to be the starting safeties, Woods is the third safety coming on in dime (six defensive back) packages, and he will be relied upon to patrol the back end of the defense.
As he enters his sophomore season, Woods has made some strides to be a reliable piece in the secondary, recently posting a pair of passes defended in practice this past weekend.
JT Woods https://t.co/8CVUDPEqGs pic.twitter.com/mm00XxKmme
— Tyler Schoon (@tylerjschoon) August 6, 2023
Making plays is not anything out of the norm for Woods. In his senior season at Baylor, he was tied for the most interceptions in the NCAA (5).
He made those plays with his physical profile at 6-foot-2 with a long wingspan and speed and athleticism to close in on the football. That was backed up by running a 4.3 40-yard dash at the combine.
While he’s always been a playmaker against the pass, against the run is where Woods has struggled, whether it’s being unable to finish and bring ball carriers down or taking bad angles.
With a bigger responsibility set in Year 2, Woods needs to put forth his best effort into improving in this department. And it’s up to head coach Brandon Staley, defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley and defensive backs coach Tommy Donatell to unlock the young safety’s potential.
