Chargers' 2024 Make Or Break Player: JT Woods (NFL)
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Chargers' 2024 Make Or Break Player: JT Woods

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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Los Angeles Chargers safety JT Woods is entering a critical make-or-break campaign in 2024. The No. 79 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft has failed to meet his pre-draft expectations up until this point. It’ll legitimately be sink or swim for Woods in his third campaign.

The Chargers eyed Woods with a top-100 selection after he enjoyed a phenomenal pre-draft process. The former Baylor standout displayed elite athleticism at the NFL Combine, running a breathtaking 4.36 40 at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds with excellent splits of 2.56 and 1.54. It was tied for the second-fastest 40 among all participating safeties at the 2022 combine. Woods also had a 39.5-inch vertical and a 10-foot-8 broad jump.

Unfortunately for Woods, that athleticism hasn't yet translated to on-field productivity. The initial idea was for Woods to play a deep-lying safety role that allowed superstar do-it-all defender Derwin James to move around the defensive formation as needed. That ideology never came to fruition with Woods struggling early as a tackler in space. He played limited defensive snaps and was a non-factor throughout his rookie season.

Woods' sophomore campaign didn't showcase the desired improvement, either. He was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list in late September and wasn't activated until December. Woods was limited to 60 defensive snaps, approximately 5% of all Chargers plays, as a result.

The Chargers are now entering the 2024 campaign under new leadership. The franchise no longer employs the general manager (Tom Telesco) and head coach (Brandon Staley) who collaborated to draft Woods. New GM Joe Horitz and coach Jim Harbaugh are building the roster in their vision. It could be viewed as a much-needed fresh start for Woods under new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, or make him a non-wanted holdover, depending on your outlook.

The positive indication for Woods is that the Chargers did not make sweeping changes to the safety room this offseason. James and Alohi Gilman project as the starters for the second consecutive campaign. It appears Woods and second-year undrafted free agent A.J. Finley will battle for No. 3 safety rights throughout training camp. Woods could possess the advantage considering Finley was primarily used via special teams last season.

Dean Marlowe and Jaylinn Hawkins, who served as the Chargers' third and fourth safeties last season, are no longer on the roster. Marlowe and Hawkins combined to play more than 400 snaps. Those workloads are now available.

Horitz and Harbaugh did not select a safety in the 2024 NFL Draft, either. They signed three safeties in undrafted free agency, but Woods should possess an upper hand. There isn’t much back-end roster competition.

If Woods claims the Chargers' third safety spot, he'll capture a rotational and sub-package role in Minter's new-look defense. Woods is also one injury away from receiving an opportunity to be an every-down defender. First and foremost, Woods must remain healthy for the critical training camp and preseason periods that loom large. A make-or-break campaign appears on the horizon for Woods.



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