Round 4: Louisiana Tech SS Xavier Woods – 5-11, 219 – 4.58 – Senior
With last year’s fourth-round pick, Ryan Smith, moving from safety to cornerback, the Buccaneers will need another safety to develop into a potential starter to play opposite Keith Tandy. The 2017 draft isn’t terribly deep at the safety position, so Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht would be wise to grab one like Woods by the fourth round.

At 5-foot-11, 219 pounds, Woods is compactly built like Dallas safety J.J. Wilcox or Oakland’s Karl Joseph and he hits like those NFL defensive backs, too. Woods, a four-year starter, has forced six fumbles in his Bulldogs career and has an aggressive, physical tackling style that shows him exploding into ballcarriers.

Woods’ Louisiana Tech Career Stats
2016: 84 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 5 INTs, 6 PBUs, 1 forced fumble
2015: 56 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3 INTs, 3 PBUs, 2 forced fumbles
2014: 71 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 sacks, 6 INTs, 7 PBUs, three forced fumbles
2013: 61 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 PBUs

His frame and playing style likely makes him more suited to play strong safety in the box, but Woods does have the range and coverage skills to also play free safety, too. He’s quite the ballhawk with 14 career interceptions and 18 passes defensed.

Woods’ 40-yard dash time will be critical to his draft grade. It’s reported that he’s a guy who runs in the 4.55-4.6 range. If he can shave some time off his run and get closer to the 4.5-flat mark, he’ll improve his stock to that of a third- or fourth-round pick. If he stays in the high 4.5’s, Woods will likely be drafted somewhere between the fourth and sixth rounds.

Part of what makes Woods special is his work ethic in film room. His preparation is similar to that of Tandy, who is a film room junkie.

“Last year, I didn’t even have an office because every time I would go in there he was sitting at my desk watching film,” Louisiana Tech defensive coordinator Blake Baker told the News Star. “He watches film as much as a coach, and that’s not coach-talk. I’ve never been around a player like him.”

In addition to his work ethic when it comes to football, Woods also carries a 3.78 GPA and has been a mainstay on the Conference USA All-Academic Team, too. Aside from being a film room junkie, Woods, who has been selected to play in the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Fla. in January, is also incredibly mature and displays great leadership ability that will help him adjust to life in the NFL.

“I’m focused on one thing and that’s winning,” Woods told the News Star. “Everything can take a backseat.”

Click below to view Tampa Bay’s fifth-round pick in 2017.