Buffalo Bills 2022 NFL Draft Prospect to Know: Jelani Woods
The Buffalo Bills recently worked out former University of Virginia tight end Jelani Woods ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft. The tight end position could be one they add to next week with a draft pick and Woods appears to be a real possibility.
Let’s take a closer look at the player and how he might fit on the Buffalo Bills.
Measurables/Stats
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 259 pounds
Arms: 34 1/8″
Hands: 9 1/4″
Jelani Woods played three seasons with Oklahoma State and had limited stats with only 31 receptions, 361 receiving yards, and 4 touchdowns over that time period. However, he transferred to Virginia and played very well with 44 receptions, 598 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns.
NFL.com Scouting Report by Lance Zierlein
"Woods is an ascending in-line tight end with good size and length, but he needs to keep filling out his long frame and getting stronger as a point-of-attack blocker. While he looks lumbering in the early stages of the route, he plays with good physicality throughout and does a nice job of shielding defenders from playing the football. His hands aren’t great as a blocker or pass-catcher and both will need work, but his breakout 2021 could foreshadow more to come as an in-line backup with upside."
How Jelani Woods fits with the Buffalo Bills
Jelani Woods is more of the traditional tight end as he has the size to line up just outside the offensive tackle compared to some of the more athletic tight ends who split out wide, like Atlanta Falcons’ tight end Kyle Pitts. However, he is not limited to just being a blocker and can still contribute in the passing game. He has great size at 6’7″ and 259 pounds to be a red zone threat in this offense.
The scouting report from Lance Zierlein describes a player that has a lot to fine-tune before having that chance to be a steady contributor. However, the Buffalo Bills have always valued athleticism and believe they can work on the technique and those finer points. Woods certainly has the athleticism based on how he has tested over the past few months.
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If the Buffalo Bills were to draft Woods, they would have to be patient and he likely would have a limited role as a rookie. However, this isn’t necessarily an issue as the team still has Dawson Knox and O.J. Howard on the roster for this season so they can let Woods develop with the potential of replacing one of them in 2023.