Josh Woods has spent the last two seasons in Atlanta without much fanfare, but his latest run with the Falcons is turning heads fast.
The veteran linebacker came back to Flowery Branch on July 30 after the Falcons released DT Ross Blacklock, and at the time it barely registered. Woods has mostly been viewed as a special teams piece, the kind of name that sits well below the radar. That’s changed quickly.
In the preseason opener, even in a 27-7 loss to Denver, Woods was one of the few bright spots. He logged 38 defensive snaps, finished with a team-high six tackles, tied with Sydney Brown, and added a tackle for loss.
Most of his work came against the run, but he also handled 21 coverage snaps. On top of that, he got first-team defensive reps during Monday’s practice.
The numbers back up the eye test. According to Pro Football Focus, Woods posted a 54.6 overall grade and a 45.0 run defense grade, but his tackling stood out most.
His 80.3 tackling grade was second on the Falcons, trailing only Brown. For a player trying to force his way onto the roster, that kind of efficiency matters.
His rise is even more notable because of the reps he’s getting with Divine Deablo sidelined. Rookies Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. have been the main beneficiaries of those first-team snaps so far, with Christian Harris mixing in as well. Woods hadn’t really been part of that conversation until now, which tells you how much his stock has climbed in a short time.
The path ahead looks crowded on paper, but maybe not as crowded as it once did. The Falcons already moved on from Troy Andersen, and Channing Tindall has faded in camp. Woods also has something the younger linebackers don’t: familiarity with the building and the defensive staff, plus a strong first impression on the new regime.
Kevin Stefanski has spoke all offseason about the importance of earning jobs, and a big part of that has been bringing in his own guys. But he's not going to be blindly loyal to the players he brings in when he's all about choosing the best man for every given job--and right now that is Josh Woods.
Right now, the Maryland product looks like the LB5 behind Deablo, Harris, Daniels, and Perkins. That leaves him in direct competition with JD Bertrand, and last season made clear how shaky Bertrand can be in coverage. That could tilt the decision toward Woods.
For now, the signs are lining up in Woods’ favor. He was listed ahead of Tindall and alongside Bertrand on the second unofficial depth chart, and that’s another clue that he’s moved himself into real roster-lock territory. The next test is holding onto that momentum through joint practices and the final two preseason games.
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