Even though they had a deep group of safeties under contract at the time, the New England Patriots chose to invest a fourth-round draft pick in the position last spring. The decision paid off: Craig Woodson eventually earned a starting role and developed into a key member of the team’s revamped defense.
Needless to say, he set the bar quite high in his first season. Will he clear it in Year 2, though? Let’s take a closer look.
Hard facts
Name: Craig Woodson
Position: Safety
Jersey number: 4
Opening day age: 25 (2/20/2001)
Measurements: 6’0 1/8”, 200 lbs, 75 1/4” wingspan, 30 1/2” arm length, 8 3/4” hand size, 4.45s 40-yard dash, 7.06s 3-cone drill, 4.20s short shuttle, 36” vertical jump, 10’7” broad jump, 13 bench press reps, 8.75 Relative Athletic Score
Experience
NFL: New England Patriots (2025-) | College: Cal (2019-24)
Initially a wide receiver and running back at South Grand Prairie High School in Grand Prairie, TX, Woodson switched to defense ahead of his junior season and never looked back. He eventually was rated as a three-star recruit and picked up scholarship offers from both FBS and FCS schools. After initially committing to UTSA, he changed directions and enrolled at Cal in July 2019.
Woodson spent six years in Berkeley, with his career one of two halves. He started out as a redshirt, saw his second season disrupted by Covid-19, and missed his third altogether due to a knee injury. When he returned in 2022, he promptly became a starter in the secondary; he started 38 straight games over his last three seasons and was named all-conference each time (honorable mention All-Pac 12 2022 and 2023, third-team All-ACC 2024). When he left school to join the NFL, he had 46 games with 40 starts on his résumé, as well as five interceptions (including one pick-six), three forced fumbles and a blocked punt.
Woodson was picked 106th overall by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2025 draft, and during his first training camp earned a starting role in the secondary. He appeared in 17 regular season games and four playoff contests as a rookie.
Scouting report
Strengths: Woodson is a naturally versatile player, who wore several hats during his time at Cal and also aligned in multiple spots during his rookie campaign in the NFL. Capable of handling a high workload, he has a quick processor and natural instincts that allow him to be a productive player in the box. He is a good run defender, who reads plays efficiently and has the spatial awareness to react on the fly. Woodson finds his way to the ball carrier through traffic, and is an adequate tackler.
In coverage, Woodson has shown good timing attacking the ball in the air and reaching past intended targets to register a pass breakups; he rarely gets flagged for improper contact. He also has advanced awareness when playing in zone coverage structures and generally trusts his eyes against route combinations and misdirection plays when the action unfolds in front of him. He also has been praised for his work ethic and high football IQ since arriving in New England.
Weaknesses: Woodson has his limitations in man coverage, with some of his zone traits not directly translating over when taking on players 1-on-1. He has a tendency to overreact and find himself out of position, and also can get fooled by pick plays or double moves. In addition, while he is a serviceable overall athlete, he also lacks standout traits both in terms of his fluidity and length; his recovery speed when taking false steps is limited, while his wingspan and arm length are both below average. That, in turn, limits his margin of error in man-to-man.
2025 review
Stats: 21 games (19 starts) | 1,203 defensive snaps (93.7%), 80 special teams snaps (14.6%) | 103 tackles, 11 missed tackles (9.6%), 8 TFLs, 3 FRs | 8 QB pressures (2 hits, 6 hurries) | 47 targets, 30 catches surrendered (63.8%), 257 yards, 6 TD, 1 INT, 9 PBUs | 6 special teams tackles | 1 penalty (incl. 0 declined/offsetting)
Season recap: When Woodson joined the Patriots as the 106th pick in the draft, he did so surrounded by considerable experience at the safety position. Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers had been the starting duo for multiple seasons, with Jaylinn Hawkins a serviceable third option behind them; add free agency pickup Marcus Epps to the mix and you get a group that collectively has played a lot of football.
And yet, when the 2025 season came to an end, it was the rookie who out-snapped them all. In fact, Woodson ended his first year in the NFL leading New England’s defense with a playing time share of 93.7% — the highest of any rookie on that side of the ball since Devin McCourty in 2010.
The journey toward that achievement began in training camp. Woodson originally entered camp as a rotational third or fourth option at safety, but in early August began replacing Dugger in the starting lineup. He never looked back and by the time the regular season rolled around was firmly entrenched into one of the top spots alongside another surprising starter, Jaylinn Hawkins.
At that point, both Epps and Peppers had been cut; Dugger would follow shortly thereafter via a trade to Pittsburgh. His replacement, meanwhile, blossomed into a key member of the Patriots’ secondary.
While Woodson went through the usual rookie growing pains, he also stood out on multiple occasions both during the regular season but especially the playoffs: despite being a first-year pro playing the longest season of his career, he took his game to another level in the postseason.
In four playoff games, no player in the tournament registered more tackles (28) or tackles for loss (4); only two, including teammate Christian Gonzalez, topped him in the pass breakup category (6). On top of it, Woodson also registered an interception and a fumble recovery, both in the Patriots’ divisional round win over the Texans.
Throughout the playoffs and the season as a whole, the young safety was one of the Patriots’ most reliable players. And while there still is room for development, his rookie campaign was an impressive starting point.
2026 preview
Position: All-purpose safety | Ability: Quality starter | Contract: Signed through 2028 (2029 UFA)
What will be his role? The Patriots did not shy away from using Woodson in a multi-faceted role as a rookie, and he has shown the ability to play close to the box as a strong safety type, as the centerfielder in single-high coverages, and in split-field looks. He will continue building on the experience he gained in 2025, and continue to serve as a high-volume starter alongside free agency pickup Kevin Byard.
What is his growth potential? Woodson entered the NFL at 24, meaning that he was already well-developed from a physical and mental perspective upon his arrival in New England. There will still be some natural growth between Years 1 and 2, but he appears to be closer to his ceiling than other sophomores. That said, considering on how high a level he already was particularly toward the tail-end of the 2025 season, he does bring definitive Pro Bowl potential to the table.
Does he have positional versatility? Woodson was a jack of all trades at Cal, and that continued in the NFL — at least to a degree. His special teams contributions, for example, were primarily limited to the kickoff coverage unit. However, that was due to his extensive defensive role more so than any shortcomings in the game’s third phase. And on defense, he looked comfortable switching between assignments, alignments and coverage schemes.
What is his salary cap situation? From a dollar-per-snap perspective, Woodson is one of the biggest bargains on the Patriots’ roster. Entering the second year of his rookie deal, he is carrying a salary cap hit of only $1.27 million, 31st highest on the team. As with all rookie deals, his cap hit consists of a base salary ($1.01M) and a fully-guaranteed signing bonus proration ($267k).
How safe is his roster spot? Given his impressive rookie season and the current composition of the Patriots’ safety depth chart, Woodson is a lock to make the roster entering 2026. Barring injury, he will be on the 53-man team come September and again play a valuable role.
Summary: In a 2025 season filled with surprise stories, Woodson’s definitely ranks near the top of the list; few if any outside One Patriot Place expected him to have this kind of impact as a fourth-round rookie. And yet, he did, setting himself up nicely for a second-year jump and to further solidify himself as foundational player both on and off the field.
What do you think about Craig Woodson heading into the 2026 season? Will he build on his solid rookie campaign? Or will his development be slower in his second season? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.