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‘Plays like a 10-year vet’: Patriots rookie Craig Woodson is turning heads this postseason
Woodson is leading the team in tackles, and he was the highest graded rookie last week in PFF's rankings.
When the ball bounced off of Xavier Hutchinson’s hands, Craig Woodson was in position to scoop it for his first playoff interception.
The rookie safety took off running and wound up on the receiving end of a crushing blow from Texans running back Woody Marks. But, it was one of four first-half interceptions for the Patriots defense and a moment that Woodson had been waiting on.
“I was turnt,” Woodson said. “Obviously I got hit pretty hard but I was grateful, God is good, this is something that I’ve been wanting, an interception, so just happy that it finally happened.”
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It was a change of pace for Woodson, who is usually the one delivering the hits. He was nicknamed “The Eraser” during his college football days at Cal for his ability to clean up defensive mistakes. His selling point during the pre-draft process last year, he said, was his tackling ability.
“I’ve always had that,” Woodson said. “I’ve always wanted to be the one hitting people, tackling since my Cal days. You can look at the tape. That’s all I was doing out there, running around making plays, hitting people, getting people on the ground. That was my strong suit.”
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So far, through two postseason games, Woodson is the Patriots’ leading tackler with 16. He finished fourth on the team in tackles during the regular-season with 79. He played 93 percent of the Patriots’ defensive snaps this season, the most of any Patriots defensive rookie since Devin McCourty in 2010.
“Plays like a 10 yr vet,” McCourty wrote on X.
On Sunday, he will be the only Patriots defensive rookie to start in the AFC championship game.
“Very consistent. He continues to improve,” Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said. “He takes coaching and practices hard every day. He’s really been a good tackler for us and it was good to see him make some plays on the football [Sunday], catching the tipped ball and being a factor on some other throws where we got PBUs.”
“He’s an easy guy to coach. He’s very coachable,” Vrabel added. “You don’t have to explain things to him too many times. He usually tries to get it. He makes mistakes, but not too many, and he rarely makes the same mistake twice.”
Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins, who also played with Woodson in college at Cal, said he was almost moved to tears when he saw Woodson’s interception.
They had been talking for weeks about how Woodson was due for a pick after going through the regular season without one.
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“That dude is a baller. It’s so cool. Y’all really don’t understand,” Hawkins said. said. “I’ve seen it since his freshman year of college. It’s just so cool to see him now on the biggest stage and at the highest level, and it’s a pleasure playing beside him. That’s a brother, man.”
The Patriots have allowed the second-fewest points (9.5) and yards (224) per game this postseason. Pro Football Focus graded Woodson higher than any rookie in the league for his performance against the Texans.
Woodson and Hawkins have been roaming around the Patriots’ secondary making plays. The duo from Cal overtook Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers during the preseason. They’re enjoying being on this playoff run together, and they’ve developed “a lot of chemistry” Woodson said.
“When I came to Cal I was just watching what he was doing,” Woodson said of Hawkins. “He was a guy that I knew of that just made plays and always got his hands on the ball, so everything he’s trying to do in practice I’m trying to be behind him, standing behind him doing what he’s doing, so it’s just cool to see us come together and play together and I’m just blessed that he’s here.”
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The trust that Woodson has earned from his coaches and teammates has put him in position to start the biggest Patriots playoff game since they won Super Bowl LIII against the Rams in 2018.
“Just trusting myself, having confidence out there,” Woodson said. “I think it’s getting easier with my teammates supporting me and the coaches having my back, so just trusting the plays that I see and improving my tackling and the communication has gotten a lot better.”
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