Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Jelani Woods, TE IND

The NFL Draft is behind us, rookie drafts are taking place, and as dynasty owners, we are looking ahead to the upcoming season. In the Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update series, we break down all the incoming fantasy-relevant rookies, looking at their profiles and where they fit.

Name: Jelani Woods

Position: Tight End

Pro Team: Indianapolis Colts

College Team: Virginia

Video Highlights

Combine Review

Strengths

• Long frame at 6’7” with 34.5” arms (97th and 93rd percentile)
• Incredible speed for his size – 4.61-second 40-yard dash (88th percentile). This is the fastest 40 by a player 6’7 or taller since 2003.
• Expansive catch radius
• Hands catcher
• Dominates smaller defenders

Weaknesses

• Raw as a route runner, often telegraphing his next move
• He doesn’t sink his hips which limits how well he explodes out of breaks
• He doesn’t always see the field well after the catch, which limits his YAC production
• Tiny hands for his size – 9.5” (24th percentile)

Threats

Jack Doyle retired, but veteran Mo Alie-Cox and 2021 fourth-rounder Kyle Granson remain ahead of Woods on the Colts’ depth chart. Alie-Cox has been a developmental player for Indianapolis for the past four seasons but has never put it all together. With Doyle out of the way, he should be the primary option for the position in 2022.

The drumbeat of positivity about Granson’s game was all over the headlines last off-season, but it never materialized into on-the-field production. He did play in all 17 games but caught just 11 passes for 106 yards as a rookie in a third-string role. Granson plays more like a big wide receiver than a traditional tight end and could emerge as the primary pass-catching tight-end if Cox gives him an opening.

Short-term expectations

Nada. Zilch. Zero. Woods may see some early work in certain situations due to his size and athleticism alone, but even the best rookie tight end prospects not named Kyle Pitts struggle to be productive early in their career. One thing he does have going for him is neither tight end ahead of him on the depth chart have cemented themselves as starting-caliber players at the position. It’s not impossible to think that Woods could emerge by the end of his rookie season and become a regular contributor entering year two.

Long-term expectations

The size and athleticism are certainly there for him to develop into a full-time starter and the depth chart isn’t insurmountable. Over the next two to three seasons, the Colts’ roster will undoubtedly evolve, but as of now, it’s just Michael Pittman and a bunch of unknowns at the receiver and tight end positions. If Woods can develop more as a blocker and route runner, he has a shot at meaningful snap numbers in year two and beyond. For fantasy purposes, his ceiling is likely as a touchdown-dependent high-end TE2/low-end TE1.

NFL player comparison

I haven’t seen a ton of great comparisons out there for Woods, and I’m not sure there is one, but I’ll go with Martellus Bennett, who had several excellent seasons with New York and Chicago. Bennett was long and athletic like Woods but was a bit more polished as a receiver, and it took until his fifth season after leaving Dallas to break out. Let’s hope it doesn’t take that long for Woods.

Projected rookie draft range

Over the last month in MFL rookie draft ADP, Woods was drafted on average in the middle of the third round as the 30th overall player selected, just behind Tyrion Davis-Price and just ahead of Khalil Shakir. He’s the second tight end being drafted and can be had nearly a full round after Trey McBride is off the board.

If you are interested in grabbing him in your draft, I would make sure to have an early third-rounder and perhaps even a late second in leagues that give bonuses to the tight end position. Just remember that Woods is mostly a stash player you’ll likely need to wait on for a couple of seasons, so have a plan before you use a pick to select him. It’s possible he gets cheaper after his rookie season and becomes almost free to acquire at this point next year. That said, It’s often better to be early than late, and because of the dearth of established tight ends on the Colts roster, it’s within Woods’ range of outcomes to make some noise during his rookie campaign.

Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Jelani Woods, TE IND