Seahawks Take Flier on Former Chargers Third-Round Pick

Adding depth to their secondary on the 90-man roster, the Seattle Seahawks will be taking a look at a former Los Angeles Chargers third-round pick in defensive back JT Woods.

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, the Seahawks signed Woods to a future/reserve deal on Friday after his practice squad contract with the Bears expired earlier this month.

A standout playmaker at Baylor, Woods led the FBS division with six interceptions as a senior in Waco, returning one of those picks for a touchdown. He also added a 97-yard fumble return for a touchdown and five tackles for loss that season, but somehow did not earn All-Big 12 recognition as a safety despite an impressive stat line.

The 6-2, 193-pound Woods shot up draft boards following the 2022 NFL Combine, however, as he turned in a sensational workout with a 4.36 40-yard dash, 39 1/2-inch vertical jump, and 128-inch broad jump in Indianapolis. Combining his athletic testing with on-field production, the Chargers drafted him in the third round in April's draft envisioning him developing into a long-term starter alongside All-Pro safety Derwin James.

Unfortunately, Woods' outstanding college production has not translated to the NFL to this point. After appearing in 10 games as primarily a special teams contributor in his rookie season, he missed most of the 2023 campaign with an undisclosed medical condition, limiting him to just three games upon his return.

Last spring, under the direction of new coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff, the Chargers transitioned Woods from safety to cornerback with hopes a position change could unlock some of his potential. But after struggling with missed tackles in the preseason, the team released him during final roster cuts and he landed on the Eagles practice squad for two months before ending the year on the Bears practice squad.

With just eight combined tackles in 13 career games on his resume, Woods has yet to deliver on his promise after a stellar college career. But he turn just 25 years old in June and the Seahawks have maintained an affinity for lengthy, athletic cornerbacks even after the departure of Pete Carroll and arrival of his successor in Mike Macdonald, making this an intriguing flier for the organization.

Interestingly, Seattle could have a prime situation for Woods to resurrect his career at either the cornerback or safety position due to potential losses in free agency. Former fourth-round pick Tre Brown and veteran Artie Burns will both be unrestricted free agents in March, leaving the cornerback group quite thin behind starters Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon, while strong safety Rayshawn Jenkins could be a cap casualty candidate after losing his starting job to Coby Bryant.

Depending on where the Seahawks see him fitting into Macdonald's scheme position-wise, Woods still has the size, athletic traits, and ball skills to right the ship in the right system and emerge as a viable candidate to make the 53-man roster next summer, making this a mid-January flier to bookmark as one to keep an eye on.