ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The New England Patriots locker room, fresh off a thrilling 29-26 win over the division rival Buffalo Bills, was elated. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood after the team's second win of the season.
On paper, the back of the New England Patriots' defense might look a bit iffy this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team lost both Craig Woodson (shoulder) and Dell Pettus (ankle) to injuries last week in their win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In putting the best 11 defenders on the field this fall, New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and his defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr will be rolling the dice a little bit.
For most of this century, the New England Patriots have always seemed to have experiences players playing safety. Rodney Harrison. Devin McCourty. Patrick Chung.
Changes at the safety position for the New England Patriots could cause some to worry. It shouldn't. Last year, the team decided to move on from Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Duggers, two former captains who commanded the back of the secondary for years.
A few trades have rearranged the NFL's backup quarterback ranks, but the dust has mostly settled. From a mix of recent first-round disappointments, aging vets, and young project types, here is how the league's QB2 ranks look for the 2026 season.
Patriots players were always going to experience somewhat of a different offseason after the club suffered a 29-13 Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks this past winter.
FOXBORO --- Craig Woodson was arguably the New England Patriots' best draft pick last season. Drafted out of Cal in the fourth round, Woodson instantly jumped into the starting lineup as a rookie.
When the New England Patriots signed longtime safety Kevin Byard to a one-year contract in free agency, it can allow for more than just turnovers on defense.
Craig Woodson is getting a nice reward after an impressive rookie campaign with the New England Patriots. The young safety reportedly earned a $1.1 million
While there were few positives to be taken from the field at Levi’s Stadium in the aftermath of the New England Patriots 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, one of the team’s brightest spots on an otherwise dismal night was the gameplay of rookie safety Craig Woodson.
NFL stars can't play forever, and retirement is coming sooner than later for some of the league's top players. These 25 players could call it quits following the 2026 season.
Even though the New England Patriots lost to the Seattle Seahawks in Sunday’s Super Bowl, it certainly wasn’t the fault of former Cal star Craig Woodson, who had one of the best Super Bowl performances of any ex-Golden Bear ever.
Former Cal safeties Craig Woodson and Jaylinn Hawkins will be the New England Patriots’ starting safety in Sunday’s Super Bowl and that makes them distinctive from the other 28 former Golden Bears who were starters in past Super Bowls.
Thirty Cal football alums have won Super Bowl rings, but there was no reason to believe Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson would join that list this season.
When the New England Patriots selected California safety Craig Woodson in the fourth round of last year's draft, it was hard to imagine they had these expectations for the rookie so early on.
The Baltimore Ravens have had somewhat of a nightmare season, but they came into Week 16 with their playoff hopes still alive. After the Pittsburgh Steelers won on Sunday afternoon, the Ravens needed to win each of their final three games in order to win the AFC North and get into the postseason.
None of the four NFL rookies from Cal was taken in the first two rounds of the 2025 NFL draft, but all four are making an impact in their first pro seasons.
Former Cal standout Craig Woodson is competing for playing time on the New England Patriots’ defense, but based on his performance on Friday, it seems he is at least going to be on the field for special teams this season as a rookie.
To celebrate the opening of Marvel’s new movie "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" (and NFL training camps), we’re highlighting the fourth-round picks of the AFC East as they get ready to do their thing, catch fire and take the league by storm.
The New England Patriots have signed fourth-round S Craig Woodson to a rookie contract. This leaves New England with just one remaining unsigned pick from the 2025 NFL Draft.
The New England Patriots went into the 2025 NFL Draft with the intention of re-shaping a lot of the roster. From massive changes to the offense to key additions on defense and special teams, the Patriots were busy during the draft.
The New England Patriots' fourth-round pick is officially in! With the 106th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, the New England Patriots selected California safety Craig Woodson. Woodson was a three year starter at the University of California.
Height: 5116 (verified) Weight: 202lbs (verified) Year: Sixth-Year Senior Pro Comparison: Rudy Ford California Golden Bears safety Craig Woodson projects as a developmental starter at the NFL level.