Chargers’ selection of JT Woods allows them to get the full benefits of Derwin James
Daniel Popper
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 Bosa rushing 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.”
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