New England Patriots Rookie Profile: Dustin Woodard
- Position: Center
- Hometown: Chandler, AZ
- College: Memphis
Measurables
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 285 pounds
- Arms: N/A
- Hands: N/A
Combine Results
- N/A
The New England Patriots may have found a diamond in the rough when they selected Dustin Woodard in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The former Memphis center was as reliable as they come during his collegiate career. He started 52 of a possible 54 games during his time at Memphis, which was tied for a program record for most starts by an offense lineman. It's also worth noting those starts came consecutively. He also holds the school record for most games played by an offensive lineman.
Woodard moved around the o-line quite a bit in college, but succeeded no matter where he played. In 2018 he earned All-American Athletic Conference honors at right guard (first team) and in 2019 at center (second team). He was also named to the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team in 2016 and 2017 while playing at left guard.
Where Woodard excelled the most in college was in the run game. In 2019 he posted a run-blocking grade of 90.1 by PFF, which put him in elite territory. However, his production in the NFL has been put into question because of his lack of size and length. That could become an issue if he is facing powerful interior defensive lineman at the next level. Though his size is not there, the production is, which is why having time to develop in New England should excite Patriots fans.
With David Andrews returning in 2020, Woodard will play a reserve role in New England for the upcoming season. However, Andrews has yet to play a snap of football since last summer, and suffered a significant injury that forced him to miss the entire 2019 season (blood clots). Because of that, Woodard will be an important piece to the offensive line in the event that Andrews' career is cut short because of the blood clots he suffered last year. Though he says he is 100% ready to return to football, Andrews may not know for sure until he steps onto the football field again. New England no longer has the benefit of having Ted Karras on the roster, so Woodard is the next man up if Andrews can't play.
Because of his ability to play multiple positions and backup one of the more unsure positions on the offensive line, Woodard brings tremendous value to an offensive line that has a lot to prove in 2020.
