One of the Jets’ most interesting camp storylines has come from a name that wasn’t supposed to be at the center of much buzz: Jelani Woods.
The tight end has flashed enough this summer to at least put himself in the conversation for New York’s 53-man roster, but the path is steep. The Jets already have Mason Taylor, Kenyon Sadiq, and Jeremy Ruckert in the room, and those three look locked in.
Woods, though, has made this kind of climb before. The 27-year-old entered the league as a third-round pick of the Colts in 2022 after a pre-draft process that turned heads everywhere. At 6-foot-7, he posted a perfect 10.0 RAS at the NFL’s Scouting Combine, the highest mark in league history.
His rookie year was solid but not spectacular. In 15 games, including two starts, he caught 25 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns. The finish to that season hinted at more, with 18 receptions for 233 yards over the final six games.
Then the injuries hit, and they hit hard. A hamstring setback kept him out of 2023 OTAs before he could build any momentum. A turf toe injury that needed surgery wiped out his entire 2024 season.
Indianapolis felt that absence, finishing dead last in tight end yards over that stretch. The Colts then used their first-round pick in 2025 on Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, and Woods’ summer work wasn’t enough to secure a roster spot. He landed on the waiver wire on cutdown day, and as Jets X-Factor first reported, the Jets claimed him with the top waiver claim.
Woods didn’t do much with the opportunity right away. He played in only four games for New York in 2025 and was targeted just three times. Even so, the Jets brought him back for 2026 on a one-year deal worth just over $1 million.
Now he’s trying to turn a strong camp into something bigger.
The challenge is that the Jets’ tight end and adjacent skill-position group is crowded in a way that leaves very little room for extras. Taylor and Sadiq were both top 50 picks, with Sadiq going 16th overall this year. Ruckert, meanwhile, got a two-year extension during the 2025 season and is expected to keep a smaller receiving role while remaining important as a run-blocker, an area where he made noticeable strides last season.
There’s also Andrew Beck, a listed fullback who has played tight end throughout his career. He caught two touchdowns for the Jets last season, which was second-best on the team, and he was a major piece in the run game and on special teams. On New York’s historic special teams unit, Beck played a team-high 315 snaps and helped spring several big returns with key blocks.
That’s why the Jets should do everything in their power to keep Beck, since losing him would be a real blow to both offense and special teams.
Add it all up, and the roster math gets tight fast. The Jets already have four running backs locked in - Breece Hall, Isaiah Davis, Braelon Allen, and Kene Nwangwu - plus six receivers, though the final shape of that room could still change. Counting Beck and leaving Woods out, New York already has at least 25 offensive locks: two quarterbacks, four running backs, a fullback, six wide receivers, three tight ends, and nine offensive linemen.
They could carry a 10th offensive lineman, which is common around the league, but that might not make much sense given the talent already on hand.
What keeps Woods in the picture is his connection to offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who was the Colts’ head coach when Indianapolis drafted him in 2022. Pair that familiarity with his camp performance, and he’s clearly in the mix. But with this much competition, a strong summer alone may not be enough to get him onto the roster.
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