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Dynasty Prospect Scouting Report: Jelani Woods

By Kevin English | Updated on Thu, 18 Apr 2024 . 1:35 PM EDT

Jelani Woods, TE, Virginia

Height: 6'7
Weight: 259
Age: 23.5

Combine Results:

40-yard dash: 4.61 seconds

3-cone time: DNP

Short shuttle: DNP

Broad jump: DNP

Vertical jump: DNP

Woods impressed at his Pro Day, posting a 6.95 3-cone, a 4.33 short shuttle, a 10'9" broad jump and a 37.5-inch vertical.

College Career:

Woods was recruited as a 6’5, 215-pound QB out of Ellenwood, Georgia. The 3-star passer chose Oklahoma State over South Carolina, Louisville, Michigan and others.

After redshirting in 2018, Woods — now 6’7 — transitioned to TE under HC Mike Gundy.

“It was kind of an easy switch,” Woods said via the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “I felt I had the tools to be a successful tight end. I talked to my coach. It was probably a 30-minute talk. I talked to my parents, and I was fine with it. I ran with it.”

The payoff wasn’t immediate, though. Woods primarily worked as a blocker across 3 years in Stillwater. Consequently, he ran only 408 routes and gained just 361 yards across those seasons.

Then came the transfer to Virginia in December of 2020 -- and a major jump in production last fall.

Despite playing with a foot injury, Woods posted 44-598-8 in 11 games. He ran a route on nearly 90% of Virginia’s pass plays, signaling his importance. He displayed versatility, too, playing ~26% of his snaps either out wide or in the slot (per Pro Football Focus).

Woods hit 45 yards in all but 3 games. He posted 4 gains of 30+ yards.

Woods played alongside lefty QB Brennan Armstrong, who broke out in 2021 with 4,449-31-10. He’s returning to school for one final season and has a chance to be a top-50 pick next spring.

So Woods finally had the opportunity to prove himself as a catch-first TE… and he delivered.

Of course, he wasn’t flawless. Woods’ drop rate of 10.2% ranks near the bottom of this draft class. Consider it a reminder that he’s still raw as a pass catcher.

Still, for a patient organization, the returns could be massive here…

Tape Review

Games watched: Duke, North Carolina, Illinois

It’s hard to find even a physical comp for Woods:

Rob Gronkowski?

Mo Alie-Cox?

Martellus Bennett?

Woods is at least a full inch taller than any member of that trio. He has the arm length to match, with an 82” wingspan and 34.5-inch arms. Both marks rank in the 96th percentile or higher, per MockDraftable’s TE database.

Athletically, Woods’ pre-draft testing amounted to a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 10.0 (out of 10.0). According to RAS creator Kent Lee Platte, Woods’ number ranks 1st among 998 TEs since 1987.

The guy’s clearly a rare human being.

Now, given his 6’7 frame, it’s no surprise Woods excelled in the TD department. His 8 scores ranked 2nd on Virginia and represented a 25.8% share of the team’s receiving total.

He was able to bully defenders in the ACC...

Woods used his frame effectively outside of the red zone, too. In this next clip, you see him gain inside leverage before letting his his 4.61 build-up speed take over.

This might have been my favorite play on tape, as it shows a nice blend of his footwork, catch radius, and post-catch strength.

While he made this particular grab look easy, Woods did have some body catches that'll need cleaning up. Again, we're talking about a late-bloomer here.

Woods looks fine in the blocking game -- no surprise as that was his forte at Oklahoma State. With his frame, NFL coaches certainly have a moldable in-line option.

Fantasy Potential

You can knock Woods for his single year of production.

You can knock him for the late breakout age and the high drop rate.

But I keep coming back to the measurables here. And I think his lack of time as a catch-first TE actually signals some untapped upside.

In the right system, it’s easy to see Woods developing into a starter as early as year 2. My guess is he’s 1 of the first 5 TEs off the board in the NFL Draft, but his ultimate landing spot will signal how the league feels about his future.