Welcome JT Woods, DB, Baylor (R3, #79)

[dmac_bolt]

I remember hearing we had a lot of interest in Javon Holland, the duck last draft with out second.
thinking Staley wanted 2 highs not named James for a while.

NAS and the Heartbreak Kid up top

Exactly. He can’t deploy James as a forward super weapon without covering that hole. He didn’t need another lesser-James enforcer at S.

[Heatmiser]

The draft experts are so funny. I just was reading about the safeties in this draft and the expert said it was one of the worst classes in a long time. Then I read what a deep safety class this is, with great prospects in every round.

Shows you that there is no such thing as a draft expert.

TG

[equivocation]

I get what you are saying but do you think there is any chance Woods is on the board when we pick in the 4th round?

Probably but there's no way to actually know. Team boards aren't like fan or "expert" boards and Baylor is a major program.

[Xenos]

Here’s Popper’s deeper breakdown. It feels almost like we’re building around Derwin to maximize his potential in the same way we’re building an OL around Herbert.

Derwin James is one of the most versatile defensive players in football, and the vision for Brandon Staley’s Chargers defense is rooted in that versatility.

Last year, James played five different positions in Staley’s scheme, and the Chargers were at their best defensively when James could be used as a queen on the chessboard. He can play in the deep part of the field. He can cover the slot. He can man up on tight ends. He can rush off the edge. Moving James around keeps opposing quarterbacks guessing, and it puts the star safety in spots to make plays on the ball, wherever that may be.

But there is a give and take when moving James around to so many different positions. James is an exceptional deep-field safety because of his size, speed, tracking and ball skills. When he moves to slot, or when moves to edge rusher, or when he plays a linebacker-safety hybrid role in dime packages, someone has to replace him in the deep half of the field next to fellow safety Nasir Adderley. And in 2021, the Chargers did not have that player. Trey Marshall, who the Chargers signed in early September, was inconsistent. Alohi Gilman, who dealt with a significant quad injury that forced him to miss five games in the second half of the season, is more suited for a box-safety role. Mark Webb, a seventh-round pick in 2021, is also more effective when aligned closer to the line of scrimmage.

So in the third round Friday night with the 79th pick, the Chargers addressed this need, drafting Baylor safety JT Woods, a long, blazing-fast defensive back with the range and awareness to thrive in deep areas of the field. Bringing Woods into the secondary will give Staley and the Chargers defensive coaches the option of moving James around in nickel (five defensive backs) and dime (six) packages without exposing themselves on the back end.

“When you play five- and six-DB groupings, if you do move Derwin closer to the line of scrimmage or in the slot somewhere, you don’t want to lose that playmaking ability in the deep part of the field,” Staley said Friday night. “What JT gives you is premium range back there, and now you have two guys back there with him and Nas.”

Woods was an accomplished track sprinter both in high school in San Antonio and in college at Baylor. That translated to a 4.36 40-yard dash at the combine, and he also logged a top GPS-tracking speed of over 21 miles per hour in game action, according to Staley. Woods is also over 6-foot-2 and can match up one-on-one with tight ends with his size and long arms. The Chargers also feel like he can defend the slot — something he did in Dave Aranda’s pro-style Baylor defense.

Perhaps most enticing, though, is Woods’ ball production. He led the nation in interceptions last season with six and had nine interceptions in 23 games over his final two college seasons. The Chargers only had 11 interceptions last season, and it is clear taking the ball away more frequently is a point of emphasis for Staley heading into his second season.

“When you have Khalil Mack and Joey Bosarushing the passer, we feel like that’s why it’s important to get secondary players who can get you the ball,” Staley said. “Because we feel like people are going to be sped up and you want people back there who can catch a mistake, make plays back there. We really feel like he can do that.”

General manager Tom Telesco called Woods “a unique player.”

“Like Nas, like Derwin, he’s a safety with a lot of cover ability, with his length and his speed,” Telesco said.

Woods took some reps at cornerback at the Senior Bowl, and Telesco said he showed “a little bit of corner movement” on tape. But the Chargers view him, for now, as a safety with the flexibility to defend the slot in their “Star” position or the linebacker-safety hybrid “Money” position in their nickel and dime packages.

Initially, he will be battling with Webb and Gilman for time as a split safety in those sub-packages. In certain five-DB packages, James moves to slot as a big nickel defender. Woods could potentially replace James as a split safety in those packages. James also plays the Money position in dime packages, and Woods could be the replacement safety for James in those packages, as well.

“We play a lot of different types of five and six DBs depending on the matchups,” Staley said, “so it just gives us more flexibility.”

Woods also has the athletic profile to be an immediate contributor on special teams, particularly at gunner. Woods does need to clean up his tackling. But Staley said that is not a function of poor pursuit angles. Woods just needs to wrap up better and finish tackles, something Staley believes is very correctable.

The Chargers had other options at 79. They could have taken a corner. They could have taken an edge rusher. Those two needs were more pressing than safety depth.

At the same time, though, it is not hard to parse the vision for the Woods pick.

Maximizing Derwin James is maximizing this Chargers defense. And Woods, in theory, will allow James to be the best version of himself.

“Where the NFL is going, you’ve got to have secondary players,” Staley said. “You can’t have enough of them.”

[equivocation]

I was expecting a deep safety in round 3 for the reasons listed above. Still spent 0 time looking at them. I don't really know safety coverage technique that well, just trying to say what I see.

Woods is pretty much always in position and shows great ball awareness and ball skills. 9 INTs last 2 years. He has the speed to close. That's good. He wants to hit. That's good. He plays in a very similar scheme. That's good.

His tackling needs work. That's bad. But it's not a "scared of contact" issue like Harris or Davis. It's a "needs to break down in the open field" issue. It's fixable. Of all the tackling issues, that's the easiest fix. Also needs to wrap up instead of using his shoulder. That's harder to fix bit still doable.

How does he compare to other deep safeties avaliable? Honestly don't really know.

[sonorajim]

Takeaways. The LAC 2022 defense will give the ball to Herbert or score.

[equivocation]

Also Baylor played a 335 with 2 deep safeties and Jalen Pitre in the Star role. We are going to play a lot of 2 deep safeties with Derwin James in the Star role. Scheme wise the learning curve is going to be very short. Don't underestimate that.

[Velo]

I compare the reaction to the woods pick to last year’s 3rd round picks. And holy cow the fallout from those picks was nasty too. But now I think most folks like the players. I think once everyone learned that palmer was squeaky clean, silky smooth, and a consummate professional they’ve come around to the pick. I also liked the mckitty pick, the guy was a stud pro ready blocker coming out and has the potential to be become a complete TE which is not often seen nowadays. This pick reminds me of the third round picks from last year, he’ll get his feet wet in year one and then take on a bigger role in the following years. It’s quality depth team building type stuff and insurance in case adderly walks.

I have been thinking the same about last year's 3rd round picks. Neither of them were sexy at the time - and I had never heard of either guy - but Palmer was really impressive as a rookie, I think he's going to be a stud, and McKitty - the limited opportunities he had - I thought he looked very good as a receiver and with YAC. So when I see this intense criticism of the Woods pick, I look at the Palmer/McKitty picks and think of Woods along the same lines. I had never heard of Zion either and was surprised when he was the No. 17 pick, because there were a lot of OL with a higher grade on the board. But I trust Staley/TT - mostly Staley - to know what he wants and to be able to evaluate talent outside of the mainstream draft pundits and boards.

[Formula 21]

Heartbreak kid is appropriate, breaking lots of charger fans hearts tonight
haha okay that's the only mean thing I'll say, couldn't resist.
Tom is a veteran GM, no facking way he thinks this kid isn't there next round or within range of a trade up in the 4th
disappointed in Tom's lack of patience here.

So far my picks woulda been
1. Penning
3. Cameron thomas sdsu edge

My take away is that we want ballhawks on D
and technically sound guys on the Oline

trust the process (I suppose)

You’re hired. Say hi to TT for us on his way out the door.

[Formula 21]

To me , Woods is a size/speed athlete drafted for the future. I love the speed, I love the potential, I hate overdrafting him.

As a safety, you’re the last line of defense. Miss the tackle, it’s probably a TD. Gamble on an INT and miss, it’s a TD. Woods has to improve or he won’t see the field.

Is he another Pipkins? In training for 2 years and then hoping he can start? I hope not.

At a minimum, I see him as a core special teams player. And that has value.

And I love the speed. Just having a safety providing double coverage on deep passes inhibits QBs from throwing them.

[blueman]

To me , Woods is a size/speed athlete drafted for the future. I love the speed, I love the potential, I hate overdrafting him.

As a safety, you’re the last line of defense. Miss the tackle, it’s probably a TD. Gamble on an INT and miss, it’s a TD. Woods has to improve or he won’t see the field.

Is he another Pipkins? In training for 2 years and then hoping he can start? I hope not.

At a minimum, I see him as a core special teams player. And that has value.

And I love the speed. Just having a safety providing double coverage on deep passes inhibits QBs from throwing them.

Oh he’s a play now pick, I’d much rather have him back there than Gilman or Aoli or Webb, Woods is so fast to recover even as a rookie.

[Xenos]

To me , Woods is a size/speed athlete drafted for the future. I love the speed, I love the potential, I hate overdrafting him.

As a safety, you’re the last line of defense. Miss the tackle, it’s probably a TD. Gamble on an INT and miss, it’s a TD. Woods has to improve or he won’t see the field.

Is he another Pipkins? In training for 2 years and then hoping he can start? I hope not.

At a minimum, I see him as a core special teams player. And that has value.

And I love the speed. Just having a safety providing double coverage on deep passes inhibits QBs from throwing them.

No, he’s definitely not another Pipkins. He’ll start right away in our main defense IMO.