Cleveland went all out this 12 months to enhance their receiver corps.
Gone was Odell Beckham, Jr. throughout the 2021 season. Jarvis Landry’s lack of manufacturing (570 yards) plus the considered paying him $16.6 million subsequent 12 months discovered him minimize as an alternative. Rashard Higgins was primarily unused throughout the 12 months with simply 275 yards and was allowed to signal elsewhere in free company now with Carolina. JoJo Natson was damage greater than he performed and signed with Detroit.
Donovan Peoples-Jones was now not a rookie and was anticipated to play extra whereas the crew had drafted two rookie receivers in Demetric Felton and Anthony Schwartz together with different guys who noticed the follow squad together with Ja’Marcus Bradley, Lawrence Cager and Ryan Switzer.
Browns GM Andrew Berry has since traded for Amari Cooper, signed free brokers WR/KR Jakeem Grant and Javon Wims, inked undrafted free brokers Isaiah Weston (Northern Iowa), Mike Harley, Jr. (Miami) and Travell Harris (Washington State), tendered Bradley, after which drafted David Bell of Purdue and Michael Woods II out of Oklahoma.
While Bell is a widely known receiver that shined within the Big 10 Conference and at one time was projected as a second spherical draft choose, the truth that Berry took Woods additionally within the draft is a little bit of a shock contemplating the truth that the receiver room was getting fairly full because it was.
Woods, who goes by Mike, was drafted in Round 6 at choose #202. Who is that this dude anyway?
Beginnings
Woods (6’-1”, 198 kilos) was raised in Magnolia, Texas with a inhabitants of just below 1,400 simply 44 miles north of Houston and three hours from Austin. He grew up a Texas Longhorns fan. He went to Magnolia High School which was established in 1912. There Woods was a basketball star and his thought course of was that was the place his athletic future could be.
He additionally started enjoying soccer in his sophomore 12 months. He confirmed a variety of potential and by his junior season he had turn out to be a dominating receiver in Class 5A by gaining 1,456 yards on 75 receptions with 21 touchdowns. That 12 months he was named Third Team All-State plus First Team All-Montgomery County.
Woods ended up a three-year starter on the soccer crew. For his profession he had 155 receptions for two.988 yards with 41 touchdowns and scored 264 factors.
He additionally totaled 527 kickoff return yards and 193 punt return yards.
He gave up basketball as a way to concentrate on enjoying soccer as an alternative when he realized {that a} scholarship in that sport is likely to be extra of a positive factor. In highschool he was clocked at 4.76 within the 40. He squatted 330 kilos and benched 205 whereas he weighed simply 188 kilos.
Woods was rated a three-star prospect and had a variety of provides from schools, though Texas wasn’t one among them. Offers had been acquired from Texas Tech, Virginia, Minnesota, SMU, Indiana, Texas-San Antonio, Louisiana Tech, Iowa State, Texas State, Houston, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Arkansas and Tulsa.
He settled on SMU due to head coach Chad Morris. When Morris left to take the identical job at Arkansas on a six-year deal for the 2018 season, Woods modified his verbal dedication to SMU and adopted Morris to Arkansas the place he enrolled early and acquired a head begin. There he began as a freshman and spent three years to which he graduated with a level in Sports Management.
His Arkansas profession stats aren’t eye-popping. Woods began 29 of 32 video games with 83 receptions for 1,248 yards and 10 touchdowns for his or her run-first offense the place he performed with Treylon Burks who was drafted within the first spherical by Tennessee.
He had two years of eligibility left with the COVID scenario, after which transferred to Oklahoma after his junior 12 months regardless that when requested the place his hometown is he would reply “Fayetteville, Arkansas.”
Woods noticed a variety of disdain from the Arkansas fanbase for this determination. He was attacked fairly a bit on social media for leaving a faculty the place he was beloved because the Number 1 receiver, however he wished a chance to win a National Championship.
At Oklahoma for his senior 12 months his stats had been 9 begins for 11 video games with 35 catches for 400 yards and two scores and was named Honorable Mention All-Big 12.
In each season on the collegiate degree, Woods by no means got here near a 1,000-yard season and had 15 drops in 4 seasons.
Woods acquired an invite to play within the Hula Bowl plus the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl All-Star video games and selected the latter the place he carried out properly in entrance of NFL scouts.
From there he was invited to take part within the Combine the place he ran a 4.55 within the 40. He additionally confirmed his move catching talents and was praised for his route working.
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Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images
Among Woods’ attributes embody his physique, work ethic, very sensible, arm size, a crisp route runner and capable of disguise his route breaks. His weaknesses are tight hips, a one-speed route runner and never very elusive towards press protection.
His twitter deal with is @TheMikeWoods.
Scouting report on NFL.com:
“Arkansas transfer with just a single season in Lincoln Riley’s passing game. Woods is a tight-hipped receiver with below-average bend that affects his route running and keeps his work on a vertical plane. He has decent build-up speed and showed improved hands in 2021, but is unlikely to ever be considered a catch winner. Woods has a shot to compete for a practice squad spot but lacks play traits that stand out for the position.”
Scouting report on The Athletic:
“After three seasons (at Arkansas), he sought a more explosive offense and transferred to Oklahoma for the 2021 season. Woods has a long, skinny frame with some build speed to build coverage in vertical patterns. He uses the length of it to reach back or snatch the ball out of his frame, but concentration dips plagued him during his run. He is a linear route runner and lacks the instincts or brake trickery to routinely snap his hips and create an easy split. Overall, Woods displays a wide catch radius and long-striding athleticism, but he doesn’t have any special qualities that set him apart on an NFL depth chart.”
Drafted into the NFL
Cleveland had proven loads of curiosity in Woods throughout the pre-draft course of, which included a gathering with a Browns consultant on the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.
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Woods can see {that a} participant taken within the sixth spherical is a long-shot. But the league is filled with guys who start their journey on particular groups after which transfer up like Donovan Peoples-Jones, one other sixth spherical alternative. A participant can actually be within the league for a few years with simply enjoying on particular groups.
“As a team player, I’m going to have to get on special teams,” Woods instructed The Courier just lately. “I feel like that’s where it really all starts for me because it shows the coaching staff and the other players and the vets that I’m invested. I’ll do the dirty work first. As a wide receiver, I want to contribute and I think I’ll be able to. Size and speed, ball skills and I’m pretty good at picking up coaching points and picking up a playbook.”
And the soiled work is not going to hassle Woods. His twitter account is filled with pancake blocks he has made as a downfield blocker. While the offensive line blocks for first downs, vast receivers block for touchdowns.
There will likely be loads of acquainted faces for Woods in coaching camp. DT Perrion Winfrey and DE Isaiah Thomas had been each teammates at Oklahoma and had been additionally drafted by the Browns this 12 months.
What Woods’ function will in the end turn out to be will rely upon coaching camp. There are a variety of receivers listed forward of him which have extra expertise and velocity. He should bounce the depth chart over gamers comparable to Ja’Marcus Bradley to even take into consideration successful the slot place over guys like Schwartz or David Bell.
But if particular groups is his calling, Woods is working arduous on it already.