Of all the positions the Indianapolis Colts need to see improvement in before the 2025 season, tight end was the top of that list - yes, even potentially above quarterback. Daniel Jones can, at least, be serviceable, while Anthony Richardson has some upside and potential. But the Colts' tight end room was notoriously bad.
No tight end in Indianapolis has reached 500 receiving yards since 2018, with the entire unit netting just 39 receptions last season. It was obvious the Colts would seek a tight end in the draft, which they did. The Colts were able to pull off a major coup in Tyler Warren, which essentially sent a message to the tight ends already on the roster.
With that, Warren was arguably the only roster lock at tight end, followed by Mo Alie-Cox, who admittedly is not a great receiving tight end, but is a good blocker, and no one expects him to go anywhere. That left Drew Ogletree, Will Mallory, and Jelani Woods.
So who gets the final spot?
The Indianapolis Colts send Jelani Woods packing
Indianapolis has released Jelani Woods, who was a third-round draft pick in 2022. And initially, he showed a lot of potential; in his rookie season, he had 25 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Despite the promise he showed, he also dropped three passes in his rookie season, and then injuries brought his career to a screeching halt.
In 2023, he was sidelined with a hamstring injury, and then in 2024, an injured toe. He's been healthy during training camp this year, at least, but it's not entirely surprising to hear that the Colts cut him.
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There wasn't anything spectacular from Woods to see during training camp, and meanwhile, Mallory performed better. Both are decent at pass blocking, but Mallory is a better run blocker, and - again - has not had issues with injuries to the extent that Woods has.
And quite simply, the Colts weren't about to keep five tight ends on the roster. With the battle coming down to Mallory and Woods, and Woods having literally not appeared in a single NFL game since his rookie season, there was no reason to keep Woods on the roster.
It's disappointing, of course; on paper, Woods looks impressive. He's 6'7", over 250 pounds, and yet still ran a 4.61 forty at the 2022 combine. He should have been a great tight end with a bright future, but unfortunately, it never worked out for him.