Indianapolis Colts Draft Virginia TE Jelani Woods At No. 73 Overall

The Indianapolis Colts entered the draft with their primary goal being adding more explosive weapons for their passing offense. With their first two picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, Indianapolis certainly accomplished that feat.

After selecting Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce at No. 53 overall, Indianapolis snagged the most athletic tight end to enter the NFL over the last two decades. Say hello to Virginia tight end Jelani Woods, whose athletic profile will make jaws drop in succession.

Woods was rated as the best overall athlete in this year’s draft class with a perfect Relative Athletic Score (RAS) grade of 10.0. The freakish physical gifts Woods was blessed with helped lead to a breakout senior campaign for the Virginia Cavaliers in 2021-22 when he hauled in 44 receptions for 598 yards and eight touchdowns.

The ceiling for Woods is truly limitless, and the Colts certainly agree with that notion. Indianapolis was sold on Woods throughout the pre-draft process, plus their coaching staff was hands-on with him throughout the East-West Shrine Game. This led to the Colts having a private workout with Woods earlier this month, which sealed the deal he was the top tight end on their draft board. Woods was the second tight end taken in the draft behind only Colorado State’s Trey McBride, who went at No. 55 overall to the Arizona Cardinals.

Indianapolis now arguably has the two freakiest tight ends in the entire NFL. Woods brings a historical athletic profile to the table while also standing 6-foot-7. Meanwhile, the Colts already have former college basketball player in 6-foot-6 Mo Alie-Cox on the roster. Pairing Woods with Alie-Cox brings endless amounts of mismatch potential for the Colts, and both are known as above-average blockers for their position.

Tight end was a massive need for the Colts this offseason, especially after the retirement of longtime tight end and fan favorite Jack Doyle. Replacing Doyle will be a tough task for the Colts, but Woods offers the flexibility to not only win on routes but also open up holes for superstar running back Jonathan Taylor. Indianapolis was set on finding their Y tight end of the future, and Woods was the best one in the draft.

It’s such an intriguing thought to envision Woods developing within the Colts’ system. Learning from a similar player mold in Alie-Cox, plus having Matt Ryan as his quarterback, Woods could be poised for an immediate role with heavy snaps. For a rookie tight end, that’s a rare feat to accomplish. However, with the athletic profile of Woods, he’s the exception to the rule it seems.

Indianapolis has now stocked their cupboard full at the tight end position for this upcoming season and beyond. Woods and Alie-Cox will be a fun duo to watch, but don’t forget about 2021 fourth-round pick Kylen Granson. Internally, the Colts have high hopes for Granson entering into his sophomore campaign. All three are great compliments to one another, and it seems Colts head coach Frank Reich will be bringing back a lot of 12 personnel looks in the playbook.

Woods is the ultimate lottery ticket thanks to his athletic profile and late development. If Woods hits his ceiling, he could easily become the best tight end from the 2022 draft class. With those traits, the floor is already extremely high for Woods as well.

Colts GM Chris Ballard always values traits, and Woods is the quintessential pick under his regime.