Quick Hits: Jelani Woods Explains Unique Background, Relationship with Colts
The Indianapolis Colts haven't had a tight end who was a difference-maker as a receiving threat in a few years, but they continue to try and change that as they spent a third-round pick on Virginia's Jelani Woods Friday night.
Woods, who measures at 6'"7, 253 and has the best RAS score among tight ends in the metric's history, is an incredibly promising prospect for the Colts.
The 73rd-overall pick has a unique beginning to his collegiate career and had been on the Colts' radar for a while now. Woods spoke with the local media following his selection on Friday and gave background information on it all.
Here are the quick hits:
Colts offensive coordinator Marcus Brady and tight ends coach Klayton Adams coached Woods at the East-West Shrine Game, which set the stage for the two sides to have a relationship during the pre-draft process.
Actually, the Colts were my offense at the East-West Shrine Bowl game. So, I knew them from there and then I got to know Coach Klayton a good bit because he was our offensive coordinator at the Shrine Game. So, when I got to the Combine, I already built a relationship with them the week of the Shrine Game. It’s kind of like we knew each other.
Then, of course, we worked each other out after my pro day. It was a good relationship, even with the whole Colts staff. It was a good relationship with all of them...
You get a lot of extra film work, just the different components that comes with them being your coaches on your side. So, with Coach Klayton, he was our offensive coordinator so of course learning the Colts offense was pretty easy also. Then, being with him and then being with the quarterback coach, he was actually our head coach. Being with them helped a lot. We got a really good connection.
Being coached by Brady and Adams helped Woods get a glimpse of what playing in the Colts' offense might be like.
Definitely. I would say I had so much fun. Also, with that, I had so much fun with their offense. I was like man, I hope this is a team that looks at me or if they need a tight end, I’d be able to get the pick. It was nothing but God that actually happened. I remember telling my parents when I was at the East-West Shrine Game, I was like, man, I love this Colts offense. They give you so much room to create and so much room to make plays and be a reliable resource within the offense. So, I loved it.
Woods may be an intriguing pass-catching threat but he also has a nasty mentality as a blocker. Woods described his game here.
With me, I’m more of a physical guy. Definitely would say a guy that attacks everything he does. So, run blocking is very aggressive and pass protection and stuff like that, I’m definitely the same player also with that. Run blocking, I’m definitely very aggressive. I love contact, so I’m kind of into that. Running routes, I’m very physical at the point of attack, making breaks and I like to bang a lot. I would say, I’m a versatile player that likes to do both pretty much, blocking and running routes.
Woods transferred to Virginia from Oklahoma State, where he began his collegiate career as a quarterback, but one day in practice sparked a change to tight end.
At Oklahoma State, our last game of season, Bedlam rivalry week we play Oklahoma. During that time, they had Mark Andrews, so they wanted me to impersonate Mark Andrews for the week and I ended up pretty much killing our starting defense. The next morning, they ended up calling me and asking me to switch to tight end and if I’d have any problem with it. I ended up switching that same day and then going into bowl season I started getting my reps in at tight end and stuff like that...
Definitely. I had a lot of fun that whole week (of transitioning to tight end). I tell everybody, every day, I probably went, I would say like eight catches for 100-and-something yards. It was like that. I had so much fun at it. It was always in the back of my head when it happened and then when they actually asked me to switch, that’s why it was so easy I would say because of how much fun I had and then thinking about the future and how I could do that in a real game...
Playing wise, quarterback helps because it’s easy for me to read defenses, it’s easy for me to look at fronts and learn the different coverages and not really learn but know the different coverages and then off of movement too, I’m able to adjust off movement. So, when a play starts, I’m able to read the defense while I’m running my route and being able to settle in the hole or beat the man coverage or anything like that.
What do you think of this pick? Drop your thoughts below in the comment section!
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