After being claimed off waivers by the New York Jets in August, it was assumed that tight end Jelani Woods could make a compelling case to be named the team’s TE2 to open the season.

However, that has not been the case.

Three games into the 2025 season, Woods was inactive for the team’s first two matchups, and while he suited up on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he did not log a single snap.

Now, as the Jets enter Week 4 still searching for their first win of the 2025 season, nobody has emerged as a reliable pass-catching option behind star wide receiver Garrett Wilson, and it is time that Woods gets his chance to break through.

The 6-foot-7 tight end, now 26, entered the league as a third-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 after spending his college years at Oklahoma State and Virginia. Over four seasons, he logged 75 catches for 959 yards and 12 touchdowns, showing a ton of promise throughout his college career.

Woods’ rookie year hinted at upside, 312 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 25 receptions across 15 appearances, including two starts.

Ultimately, injuries soon stalled his progress. Hamstring issues kept him out of the 2023 season, and surgery for a turf toe injury erased his entire 2024 campaign. During that span, Indianapolis’ tight ends ranked last in the NFL in receiving output.

The Colts shifted in a different direction this spring, investing the 14th overall pick in Penn State’s Tyler Warren. Throughout the summer, Woods produced three receptions for 75 yards during the preseason but could not secure a roster spot.

Health remains a huge question mark; he has not played a regular-season snap since 2022, yet his athletic profile continues to offer a significant amount of intrigue. At the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, Woods recorded a perfect 10.0 Relative Athletic Score, the highest ever for a tight end, cementing his reputation as one of the most physically gifted players at the position.

Throughout the preseason this year, he hauled in two contested grabs, forced a missed tackle, and piled up 56 yards after the catch. The performance earned him an 89.6 receiving grade from Pro Football Focus, the highest among tight ends with at least five targets.

Blocking has never been Woods’ calling card, but he hasn’t been a full liability when asked. He posted a 50.3 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus as a rookie in 2022 and improved to 57.7 this preseason. That figure topped the early marks of fellow Jets tight ends Mason Taylor (53.1) and Jeremy Ruckert (46.1) this season.

Now heading into Week 4, Woods has had ample time to absorb the playbook. With his size and athleticism, there is no reason he should not get a chance to showcase his value as a receiving threat.

Woods’ potential as a pass catcher eclipses that of Ruckert. In a six-game span to close out his rookie year, Woods piled up 233 receiving yards on only 27 targets. Ruckert, by comparison, has managed 285 yards across 44 career appearances despite being thrown to over twice as often (55 targets).

Woods also brings traits Ruckert simply can’t match: a massive catch radius and elite athletic testing that made him one of the most intriguing tight end prospects in recent memory.

If there’s a challenger in terms of upside, it’s Smartt. The former Charger flashed late last season, catching 13 passes for 164 yards over a four-game run on just 14 targets. Still, that production hasn’t carried over; he has yet to see a target this year.

Monday night is the perfect opportunity for Woods to break out

Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football is the perfect stage for the West Virginia product to earn a larger role.

Miami, off to a 0-3 start, has struggled to contain opposing pass attacks. The Dolphins rank 31st in Pro Football Focus’ coverage grade this season at 40.5, ahead of only the Washington Commanders.

Tight ends, in particular, have thrived against Miami’s defense. In Week 1, rookie Tyler Warren posted 76 yards on seven catches in his NFL debut. Last week, Buffalo’s Dalton Kincaid hauled in five passes for 66 yards and a touchdown. Both players did much of their damage down the field. Warren averaged 10.9 yards per reception, while Kincaid averaged 13.2

The good news? Woods did most of his damage in the middle of the field. Nearly four out of every five of his receiving yards were generated on throws traveling 10 to 19 yards downfield, where he caught 14 of 18 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns in his rookie season. Outside of that range, his production dropped off considerably, managing just 11 receptions for 64 yards, while failing to find the end zone.

As the Jets search for stability in the passing game, betting on Woods’ size and untapped athletic upside offers a low-risk, high-reward solution.