Craig Woodson, the rookie safety for the New England Patriots who started for Cal the previous three seasons, is receiving a lot of acclaim at the Patriots camp.
Tre Watson, a defensive backs coach at Cal for the previous four seasons before joining TCU, said Woodson was known as “The Eraser” because of his ability to cover up any weak spots and plug a lot of gaps.
This passage from the ESPN article implies that Woodson, who was selected in the fourth round of the most recent NFL draft, might see some action in 2025. Additionally, it states that former Cal safety Jaylinn Hawkins
will be among the safeties Woodson will be vying for playing time.Woodson’s ability to clean up has already been seen on occasion during the last two weeks during the Patriots’ scheduled, voluntary team workouts. In Wednesday’s practice, he broke up a throw from backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs, demonstrating his ability to be in the proper spot from the deep area of the field to closer to the line of scrimmage.
“I like him. Astute. Veteran safety Jabrill Peppers described it as “shrewd.” “He’s doing a fantastic job of absorbing the instructors’ instructions. various methods. He is undoubtedly performing well, but college ball is a little different from the league, particularly in the Pac-12.
The 6-foot, 200-pound Woodson might make an immediate impression on the field given the NFL’s heavy sub defensive workload, especially considering his experience playing on many special teams units at Cal.
The projected starters at safety are Peppers and Kyle Dugger (who is returning from offseason ankle surgery), with Woodson, sixth-year veteran Jaylinn Hawkins, 2024 undrafted free agent Dell Pettus, and seven-year veteran Marcus Epps competing for positions behind them.