Patriots Country

What the Patriots Are Getting in Craig Woodson

Considered undervalued by many, the New England Patriots picking Craig Woodson in the fourth round aligned more accurately with his talent level than his later-round projections.

Kevin Sinclair

Nov 23, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears defensive back Craig Woodson (2) gestures during the second quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears defensive back Craig Woodson (2) gestures during the second quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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The New England Patriots selected a mature, assertive, position versatile, and dependable safety. Craig Woodson was featured prior to the draft by On SI, an easy example of a Day Three steal.

It's not difficult to make the argument that Woodson is an undervalued prospect capable of far outplaying the often low nature of his projected draft grades.

A six-year contributor for the Golden Bears, Woodson recorded 226 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, five interceptions (returning one for a touchdown), 16 pass breakups, a fumble recovery, and three forced fumbles over the last three seasons.

As a student athlete at Cal, Woodson is naturally intelligent, mature, and a quick study, according to firsthand sources. For the past few years, the 6-foot, 200-pound safety has consistently drawn praise for his leadership, and he has a knack for creating the tone-setting and momentum-shifting open-field hit or turnover in timely fashion.

He's certainly on the smaller side at the safety position, but like fellow safeties in the 2025 draft class in Malaki Starks and Billy Bowman Jr., although Woodson isn't 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, the notion that his modest size adds up to a shortage of toughness, open-field capability, or willingness to attack violently downhill is downright laughable.

To suggest that is to admit you simply haven't watched the Texan play the game. While physicality is his asset, Woodson is also capable of manning the slot and regularly taking on nickel duties. He absolutely has the mental bandwidth for cross-training without falling behind in any aspect of his job.

Woodson's testing at the NFL Combine was quite good, logging a 4.45 40-yard dash, a 36-inch vertical, and a 10-foot-7 broad jump.

For the Patriots specifically, choosing Woodson adds up. New England typically looks to carry a versatile and hostile collection of defensive backs, and the young gun absolutely fits the profile.

All told, after relocating to South Grande Prairie, Texas from his birthplace of Nashville, Woodson spent six years at an academically challenging institution where he ascended as an outspoken and highly respected leader.

As New England continues to fine-tune its roster this spring, Woodson and New England find a mutually beneficial football relationship that could greatly benefit the Patriots defense if the young player transitions into the organization as well as he thrived in his move from Texas to the West Coast.

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Kevin Sinclair
KEVIN SINCLAIR

Kevin Sinclair writes coverage of the Pitt Panthers along with the Baltimore Ravens, the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Tennessee Titans for On SI. Previously, he was a recruiting reporter and managing editor at Irish Illustrated, the privately-owned Notre Dame site within the 247Sports Network, for over seven-and-a-half years. Kevin studied multimedia journalism and has been a sports writer for nearly a decade.

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