NFL Draft: Master of positional switches Bill Belichick knows up close the versatility of Boston College DB Jaiden Woodbey
Often in life, there are peaks and valleys. The glitz and glamour of playing big-time college football with NFL aspirations can leave a trail of triumphs and tribulations.
Very few players are unscathed. However, dedicated or disciplined to their craft, the game itself does not discriminate on who it might leave in its wake.
Jaiden Woodbey played for the coveted Inland Empire Ducks growing up in southern California, a team compiled of elite football prospects at the adolescent stage in their football lives. Woodbey would eventually work himself into a five-start recruit with unlimited opportunities and athleticism.
The prestigious five-start prospect traveled over 2,000 miles east from his hometown in Fontana, California, to begin his collegiate career at Florida State. He would start all 12 games as a true freshman recording 58 tackles. Heading into this sophomore season, Woodbey was expected to take that next step and become one of the elite defenders in the ACC. In the Seminoles' fourth game of the 2019 season, Woodbey would tear the ACL, MCL, meniscus, and posteromedial capsule in his left leg during a game against Louisville. It was a catastrophic injury that left Woodbey rebuilding the foundation as a football player.
“I’ve been through a lot of adversity in my college career,” Woodbey stated as he prepares for his March 24th Pro Day at Boston College. “A lot of teams already see that. Multiple injuries. Multiple position changes. Multiple coaching changes. I was still able to be productive. I was still able to be a five-year starter wherever I was.”
Woodbey’s recovery time was nothing short of a miracle, with doctors estimating a year at the bare minimum to return. Woodbey was back in eight months. He would play out his redshirt sophomore season at Florida State before transferring north to Boston College.
The 6-foot-1- and 220-pound defensive back slash linebacker would earn multiple All-ACC honors at BC and build himself back up into one of the more diverse prospects available in this upcoming 2023 NFL Draft class.
That five-star pedigree holds some weight and Woodbey used that during his time at the East West Shrine Bowl earlier this year in Las Vegas. Playing on the West roster coached by the New England Patriots coaching staff, Woodbey would be one of the chosen few to play out of position.
Bill Belichick is a genius at identifying those unique players that can be utilized uniquely in his schemes. Julian Edelman was a former Kent State quarterback turned wideout. Belichick used receiver Troy Brown to play cornerback. Tennessee Former Patriots linebacker, now Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel became a touchdown machine in goal line situations at fullback.
All-star games are a whirlwind of nonstop activity. Players learn a new playbook, adjust to new teammates and introduce their personalities to NFL teams for the first time. All that is sandwiched into less than a week of participation. Woodbey had the added task of playing out of position with the switch to inside linebacker. He bulked up to 232 pounds in preparation for his all-star game audition and acclimated to his new surroundings without a hitch.
So, just me being able to show I can adapt,” Woodbey said of his experience at the Shrine Bowl. “I’m able to adjust and do it well. It allowed my draft stock to rise a lot.”
He played his final season at Boston College at around 223 pounds and arrived at the Shrine Bowl at 232 to prove he could play insider linebacker if required by potential NFL suitors for his services. Woodbey has shredded that weight off and is back to his normal playing weight as he prepares for his upcoming Pro Day.
A hybrid-type prospect, Woodbey could transition his defensive back background and emerge as one of the top coverage linebackers available in the draft. Instinctually adaptive, he quickly morphed into the position the Patriots coaching staff envisioned. Merely a week of practice doesn’t eliminate the growing pains of learning and mastering a new position. Still, the residue of his five-star pedigree should ease the minds of the NFL interested in Woodbey at linebacker.
Woodbey prides himself on being versatile. The Patriots recognized it, and he knows it’s one of his biggest assets in the draft process. The Eagles used him in a variety of ways, not only throughout the season and during specific drives. It was a play-by-play scenario he could end up positioned somewhere new.
“A lot of people say that they are versatile,” Woodbey explained, “but I don’t think they are versatile to the extent they can play three different positions on three different downs. We’re not talking about three different drives. First down, you’re a free safety. Second down, you’re at strong safety in the box. Third down, you’re in the box. They bring out 12 personnel and instead of changing personnel on defense, you just switch to a different position and now you are playing inside backer or on the edge.”
Woodbey is bigger than most defensive backs. He moves better than most linebackers in coverage packages. There is a niche for a player of his skill set at the next level. How teams use Woodbey to influence their style of play defensively remains unknown.
At this point, we know he has proved capable of rising to the challenges and successfully maneuvering through the peaks and valleys throughout his football career.
