Los Angeles Chargers Select Baylor Safety JT Woods To Inflict Heartache On Opposing Quarterbacks

The Los Angeles Chargers were slightly heartbroken; they didn’t possess a second-round pick. So they rebounded in the third round and selected “The Heartbreak Kid.’’

Safety JT Woods answered to that nickname while staring at Baylor. The Chargers thought enough of him to execute the 79th overall pick on the athletic and speedy defensive back.

“It was kind of a joke that I was breaking the hearts of the quarterbacks,’’ said Woods, about the moniker that started in pre-season practices and morphed into the season. “So the name ‘HBK’ kind of came about.’’

Chargers coach Brandon Staley, and the organization, set their heart on improving their 28th-ranked defense which was leaky and inconsistent last season.

“We just really see him as one of those secondary players that we really value,’’ Staley said. “Can’t have enough of them.’’

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Woods joins a backfield which includes All-Pro safety Derwin James, Asante Samuel Jr., last year’s second-round pick, and newcomer J.C. Jackson.

Jackson was among the team’s splashiest free-agent signings after he agreed to a five-year, $82.5 million deal, with $40 million in guarantees.

Woods won’t cost that much, but the Chargers still expect him to pay dividends quickly. He was a standout with his versatility on Baylor’s defense which was considered among the best in the nation.

“I would say it’s very unique,’’ Woods said, when asked to describe his game. “I do have the size and the speed, but I really use my intellect to drive a lot of the plays that I make.

“So my intellect and my instincts are what help me use my speed and my size to make the plays I make.’’

He was a play-maker for the Bears, intercepting six passes last season to tie for the national lead among FBS players. He added 57 tackles, 4.5 tackles for losses and two passes defensed.

“I started breaking hearts across the country, not just the ones in the practice facility,’’ Woods said.

Woods is a safety but he has cornerback skills, according to Chargers general manager Tom Telesco. He views Woods has a keen fit for Staley’s preference for defenders to execute various roles in his scheme. Especially when L.A. is deploying five and six defensive backs.

“We have some of these guys that can really cover and that is what JT can do,’’ Telesco said. “JT, he’s long and he’s fast.’’

Woods is a former track standout, which was evident when he stopped the watches at 4.36 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.

Telesco was quick to have some fun during the second round, when the Chargers were dormant. He placed linebacker Khalil Mack’s card on the team’s board, a nod to the cost of the trade that brought Mack from the Chicago Bears to the Chargers.

“He’s the oldest player I’ve ever drafted and the most expensive,’’ Telesco said, with a smile. “But I think he is going to pan out just fine.’’

The Chargers’ fingers are crossed that the same will be said about Woods.