Where Jamal Woods lands on the Indianapolis Colts depth chart

Most of the talk about the Illinois defensive line is geared toward 2024, but we did have Jamal Woods land with a team for the 2023 season.

Woods was thrown into a starting job from day one with the Illini. He was an All-Freshman honorable mention in the Big Ten in 2017, and he would continue to work on his craft from that point on. Woods didn’t have the accolades that many others had, but he was a big part of the reason Illinois won eight games in 2022.

For his career, Woods would amass 79.0 tackles, 19.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 pass deflections, 1.5 sacks, and 1.0 forced fumbles.  Woods didn’t get looks for the 2023 NFL Draft, but he did get a chance to attend the Indianapolis Colts rookie minicamp. He impressed them to the point the Colts would sign Woods to a deal.

Indianapolis Colts depth chart projection – Jamal Woods

It is going to be an uphill climb for Woods to officially make the Colts’ roster in 2023, as it is for any undrafted signed player out of the rookie minicamp. But he is going to get a shot.

Right now, Woods is slotted in as the fourth-string left defensive tackle for Indianapolis. DeForest Buckner is the starter, Adetomiwa Adebawore is listed on the second string, and McTelvin Agim is the third stringer.

The player ahead of Woods, Agim, only played in 17 games in two seasons for the Denver Broncos and they released him. Colts signed him in December 2022, so it’s not like he’s a guaranteed roster spot.

A thing that piques my interest is how bad Indianapolis was in 2022 when it came to the pass rush. They ranked No. 30 in the NFL in pass rushing, according to Pro Football Focus.

The first preseason game is going to be crucial for Woods. If he goes out there and performs well, then I believe he can be a solid depth piece for the Colts in 2023. They need players who can rush the passer, and Woods has the athletic ability. It is essentially a day-by-day and game-by-game situation for Woods in the month of August.