The New York Giants seem to still be working out some kinks on their 90-man offseason roster this weekend, as CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported that the team would be signing ex-Los Angeles Chargers safety JT Woods.
The addition comes just two days after the Giants waived defensive back Jarrick Bernard-Converse with an injury designation and was likely a corresponding move to replace their depth on the back end.
Woods has an uphill climb ahead of him if he wishes to carve out a role for himself in training camp. He’s already several weeks behind the Giants‘ incumbent options who have been with the team all offseason.
Regardless, head coach John Harbaugh clearly believes the former third-round draft pick still has something left in the tank; otherwise, they wouldn’t have brought him into the mix.
JT Woods’ Path Through the NFL Before Giants Signing
Before landing with the New York Giants, Woods had quite the winding journey through the league, spending time with six different teams, not including New York.
After four seasons of college football at Baylor, the San Antonio, Texas native declared for the 2022 NFL Draft, where he was a fairly highly rated prospect.
“Woods plays with instinctive range to make plays at every level of the field. He does a nice job weaving through traffic, although he will run himself out of position at times, and his slender frame could lead to durability issues,” wrote The Athletic’s Dane Brugler in his 2022 draft guide.
“Overall, Woods needs to improve his discipline and tackling skills, but he has appealing traits with his plus speed, long arms and nose for the football in the run game and coverage. He might get some looks at cornerback by press-heavy teams.”
Graded as Brugler’s 128th overall prospect, it seemed like the Chargers reached on Woods in the third round, and that was made even more clear at the start of his NFL tenure.
Woods appeared in only 10 games during his rookie season, starting in one, and only played five defensive snaps. He saw most of his usage on special teams.
His second season was even less remarkable, appearing in only three games. It would be his last year in Los Angeles.
After bouncing around from the Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks, Las Vegas Raiders, and New York Jets practice squads from 2024 to 2025, it seems Woods finally has himself another opportunity with the Giants.
Giants Safety Competition
Woods steps into training camp in the midst of a heated battle to decide who will start at safety for the New York Giants come Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Right now, the only starter you can really pencil in is veteran Jevon Holland, New York’s big-ticket free agent acquisition last offseason.
His three-year, $45.3 million contract is the primary reason why. With two years remaining on the deal, the Giants are hoping to get something out of the underperforming defensive back.
As for the other spot, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reported the two main candidates to start opposite Holland.
“Tyler Nubin got more first-team reps, but Jason Pinnock rotated in again,” wrote Duggan.
It remains to be seen if Woods will be able to push either Nubin or Pinnock for reps for the remainder of camp.
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