3 Colts whose stock has fallen since entering the new season
1. Tight End Jelani Woods
Jack Doyle’s retirement meant the Colts would need to address the tight end position. Mo Alie-Cox was resigned to a three-year deal to start the offseason and Kylen Granson is still on his rookie deal. However, Indianapolis needed to add some depth and size to this position. That’s exactly what they did through the draft.
They drafted Jelani Woods out of Virginia with the ninth pick in the third round (73rd overall). Woods stands at 6-foot-7 and is 253 pounds and was a former basketball player like Alie-Cox. As the second tight end taken in the draft, Woods had some hype to live up to. The Colts wanted to bring in big targets for Ryan and that’s exactly what they did here.
Woods is still raw after putting up decent numbers in his senior season. After transferring to Virginia from Oklahoma State, he caught 44 passes for 598 yards and 8 touchdowns. For a premiere tight end, you would like to see the touchdown number a little higher. Nevertheless, Woods fit the mold. The Indianapolis Colts added to their tight end room taking Andrew Ogletree out of Youngstown State in the sixth round (192nd overall).
Ogletree stands 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, and has actually been a more consistent presence in camp than Woods. Maybe it’s because he was drafted later and has lower expectations but by all accounts, Ogletree has been standing out in training camp more than Woods has. He has been catching the ball better and connecting better with Ryan. So much so that he was listed ahead of Woods on the first unofficial depth chart for their first preseason game.
Some thought that even Granson would get a bump because of his small size, but even he has outplayed Woods at camp and had a better opening game. Granson was the second-best receiver pulling in two receptions for 29 yards on two targets. Woods did catch a touchdown pass from third-string quarterback Sam Ehlinger and went two for two on receptions for 22 yards.
As camp progresses Woods will need to start making a name for himself if he wants his stock to rise. There is a plan for Woods and the Colts are hyping him up internally but right now, his stock is on the decline with the way the rest of the tight end room is playing.
