Ex-Cal Safety Craig Woodson Receiving Praise at Patriots Camp

New England Patriots rookie safety Craig Woodson, who was a starter at Cal the past three seasons, is getting considerable praise at the Patriots camp, as noted in a June 1 report by ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Woodson’s ability to plug a lot of holes and cover for any vulnerable areas earned him the nickname of “The Eraser,” according to Tre Watson, who was a Cal defensive backs coach the past four seasons before moving on to TCU.

Here is an excerpt from that ESPN story, suggesting that Woodson, a fourth-round pick in the recent NFL draft, may get some playing time in 2025.  It also says that one of the safeties Woodson will be competing with for playing time is former Cal safety Jaylinn Hawkins.

Woodson's clean-up skills have already shown up at times during the Patriots' voluntary organized team activities the past two weeks. He has displayed a knack for being in the right place -- from the deep part of the field to closer to the line of scrimmage -- which included breaking up a pass from backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs in Wednesday's practice.

"I like him. Smart. Savvy," veteran safety Jabrill Peppers said. "He's doing a great job soaking up what the coaches want him to do. Different techniques. College ball is a little different than the league -- especially in the Pac-12; he's definitely doing a good job, though."

Given the high volume of sub defense played in the NFL, the 6-foot, 200-pound Woodson could find his way onto the field quickly, especially with his background playing on multiple special teams units at Cal.

Peppers and Kyle Dugger (recovering from offseason ankle surgery) are the projected starters at safety, with Woodson, sixth-year veteran Jaylinn Hawkins, 2024 undrafted free agent Dell Pettus and seven-year veteran Marcus Epps among those vying for roles behind them.

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