A forgotten name has a chance to make some real noise this offseason.
New York Jets tight end Jelani Woods has a real shot of making this roster in 2026.
“Jelani Woods, remember him? He was like stuck on the bottom of the roster last year, but I think he is getting a real chance now that Frank Reich is the OC because he knows him from Indianapolis,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini shared on the “Jets Collective” podcast.
Woods is listed at 6-foot-7 and tips the scales at 253 pounds on the #Jets roster sheet.
#JetUp @JakeAsman @BrandonTierneyIntriguing Talent
Woods, 27, will turn 28 during the 2026 season. He originally entered the league as the No. 73 overall pick in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Frank Reich, now the Jets’ offensive coordinator, was the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts in 2022.
Cimini said Reich was “instrumental in the Colts’ decision to draft him in the 2022 third round.”
Reich was only around Woods for about six months before he got fired by the Colts in November of 2022.
Woods appeared in 15 games and made two starts with the Colts. He was targeted 40 times and caught 25 receptions for 312 receiving yards and scored three touchdowns.
One of Woods’ key problems in Indy was staying healthy. According to Paul Bretl of the Colts Wire, he had undergone toe surgery and battled multiple hamstring issues, which cost him significant time across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, respectively.
Now he gets a new opportunity to prove he can stay healthy and deliver on his original draft potential in 2026.
Woods is listed at 6-foot-7 and weighs 253 pounds.
Woods Is Turning Heads in Practice
The Jets claimed Woods off waivers from the Colts at the end of August in 2025. There was plenty of intrigue about what he could be, but we didn’t see it last year.
He only appeared in four games and totaled 60 offensive snaps, per Cimini.
However, in 2026, he has a new lease on life. Reich provides Woods with “a strong supporter in the building, which could create more of an opportunity,” Cimini wrote.
“Woods made a couple of flash plays in Thursday’s open practice. He can push for a roster spot in a crowded tight end room,” Cimini stated.
You never want to see injuries, but insert the football cliche, “next man up.” Head coach Aaron Glenn announced that rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq underwent surgery for a sports hernia, which will keep him out for the rest of OTAs and the three-day mandatory minicamp in June. He is expected to return by the start of training camp in late July.
In the meantime, someone will have to step up to the plate. Cimini noticed that Geno Smith liked throwing to the tight ends during the first OTA practice that was open to the media.
With Sadiq gone, those reps are up for grabs. That’ll allow Woods to develop some chemistry with Smith and to get a better understanding of the offensive playbook.
It’s now or never for Woods. He has always had the size, the talent, and the potential, but it’s time for rubber to meet the road. It sounds like this will be his best opportunity in the pros to show what he is capable of in 2026.
6-Foot-7 Jets Pass Catcher Is Getting ‘Real Chance’ to Make Team: Insider