Will Jelani Woods Have An Expanded Role In The Colts Offense? Fantasy Football Outlook

Indianapolis Colts tight end Jelani Woods was the 73rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Colts felt they needed a difference-making prospect at tight end.

Woods had a solid college career. He started with Oklahoma State as a wide receiver, totaling 31 receptions for 361 receiving yards and four touchdowns in three years. Woods then transferred to Virginia before the 2021 season. That year he had 44 receptions for 598 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 11 games. Furthermore, the big-body tight end finished fourth in the ACC in receiving touchdowns that season.

Following his productive college career, NFL draft nerds were excited about Woods’ potential. However, how did he perform as a rookie?

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What Did Jelani Woods Accomplish Last Year?

Typically tight ends don’t have a significant impact in their first NFL season. Unfortunately, that was the case for Woods. The rookie tight end had only 25 receptions on 40 targets for 312 receiving yards and three touchdowns last year.

While the numbers aren’t impressive, fantasy players should be excited about the tight end’s future in the NFL. Woods had only one game with more than six targets as a rookie. However, he had 98 receiving yards and 13.8 half-point PPR fantasy points despite not scoring a touchdown in the contest.

Woods was on the field for only 225 passing snaps last season. Yet, he ran a route on 92% of those snaps. Furthermore, the rookie had a 16% target share on those 225 plays. More importantly, Woods averaged 1.51 yards per route ran last year, the 12th-highest among tight ends with at least 35 targets.

Will Jelani Woods Have An Expanded Role In The Colts Offense?

Reportedly the second-year tight end should have a larger role this season. The Indianapolis Star believes Woods is the most likely candidate to fill the Dallas Goedert role in new head coach Shane Steichen’s offense.

Goedert averaged 5.4 targets and 9.3 fantasy points per game over the past two years in Philadelphia, with Steichen as the offensive coordinator. While Woods likely doesn’t put up those numbers consistently this season, the second-year player is a solid sleeper tight end candidate.

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