NFL Draft Profile: Pierre Woods

GoBlueWolverine's Josh Turel breaks down the draft prospects of this year's departing Wolverines. The focus of this report is DE/OLB Pierre Woods.

Pierre Woods
Defensive End/Outside Linebacker
Senior
6’4, 249

Testing: Michigan Pro Day
4.7 Forty Yard Dash
4.19 Short Shuttle
6.87 Three Cone
32 ½ Vertical
9 ft 11 in. Broad Jump
15 Power Lifts

Workout Comments:

Pierre Woods Pro Day can be summed up in one word; outstanding. His short shuttle and three cone are optimum for the outside linebacker position. A 4.7 forty yard dash is a very solid time for him as well. At his size, these workout numbers have caught the eye of scouts around the league. Woods also told GoBlueWolverine.com at Michigan’s spring practice that he has stayed busy with other workouts. “I had an area workout in Cleveland, with some area guys. Me, Pat Massey, Chris Harrell from Penn State and some others and it went well.”

Positives:

Potential. With his size, speed and wingspan, there is a great athlete for teams to work with in Pierre Woods. He has experience in a variety of schemes and has played both outside linebacker and defensive end. He is very quick at getting off the line and can really get up field in a hurry. He has a good array of finesse moves as a pass rusher and uses his athleticism well. Woods has excellent change of direction skills and overall quickness. He can help a team out in a number of ways and is a player who won‘t bring a negative attitude.

Negatives:

Pierre hasn’t played up to potential the previous two years. He never found his place in Michigan’s 3-4 scheme and struggled against the run at defensive end in the 4-3. The number one thing he needs to improve on is shedding blocks. Woods has very long arms but doesn’t use them well to separate from defenders at linebacker and struggles when teams run at him. Doesn’t stack the point well and is blocked too easily. Doesn’t play well when he isn’t going up field. Struggled to close on tackles and finish plays his last two seasons. His tackling form also appears to have deteriorated as well. May struggle adapting to NFL style 3-4 defenses which are very complex. Lacks experience and polish in pass coverage as well.

Overall:

Pierre Woods is one of those players that NFL front offices look at from several angles. Some see potential, while others see a player with too many negatives. I’ll settle somewhere in the middle here. I certainly think Pierre will be able to contribute in some form on an NFL football team. He may take a year of grooming on the practice squad or he could earn a spot right away. His best situation would be in a 3-4 defense as a situational outside linebacker.

If his responsibilities are limited and he can play up field, Woods can make things happen as a pass rusher in a 3-4 system. However high his potential may be, he will have to offer something to a team to extend his stay. Some feel he could be an excellent wedge buster on special teams as well. One thing is for sure, no matter what the position, Woods is ready to contribute. “It doesn’t make a difference, whatever a team wants me to play. If I go to a 4-3 team I’ll play defensive end, if I go to a 3-4 team, I’ll play outside linebacker.”

Draft Status:

As of right now, Woods sits as a 7th round to free agent value. Pierre himself is unsure of what the future holds. “I don’t know where I’ll go, I don’t even know if I’ll get drafted, whatever happens, happens. If I get drafted, that’s a plus but if I don’t, I’ll just go to a camp and see what happens there.”

NFL Comparisons:

Na’il Diggs, Green Bay Packers
Antwan Peek, Houston Texans
Alain Kashama, Seattle Seahawks