LOGAN — When news broke just over four months ago, on Dec. 16, that now former Utah State linebacker David Woodward had decided to forgo his senior season and declare for the 2020 NFL draft, it came as a surprise to few.
In his four seasons with the Aggies — he redshirted his freshman year in 2016 — Woodward had accomplished nearly everything anyone could have asked of him.
There were, famously, the tackles, and lots of them — 256 in total, 89% of which came in his sophomore and junior seasons. Throw in the rest of his production at inside linebacker — he forced six fumbles in two seasons — and it is no wonder why Woodward was honored again and again and again during his collegiate career.
He was a Pro Football Focus First-Team All-American, an Associated Press Third-Team All-American, PFF’s Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year and a Phil Steele First-Team All-Mountain West player, and that was just in 2018.
This past season, despite playing only seven games before missing the remainder of the year with a season-ending injury, Woodward was good enough to earn first-team All-Mountain West honors.
“He’s a fantastic player,” Utah State head coach Gary Andersen said. “You can’t replace Woody on, quite frankly, most teams in the country. That’s just my bet from the teams I’ve been around. When a kid plays as many games as he played and he’s still first-team all-conference, that’s crazy. Those aren’t sympathy votes coming from the coaches. Those were votes because that dude changed the game and they knew who he was. He’s a special player.”
And he’s a player who will always be grateful for his time at Utah State.
“My four years at Utah State have been some of the greatest days of my life,” Woodward wrote, when he announced his intention to move on to the NFL. “I would like to thank each and every one of you for helping create such special memories that will last a lifetime.”
With his time as an Aggie over, Woodward will join thousands of hopefuls who will take in the NFL draft, beginning Thursday night and continuing through Saturday. He is largely expected to hear his name called, but when and where is another story altogether.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller is the most hopeful in regards to Woodward. He has the Olympia, Washington, native going in the fourth round with the 140th pick to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Drafttek, meanwhile, has Woodward on the table until Round 7 and the 232nd pick. The Sporting News has him going at pick 141, while USA Today believes Woodward will wait until pick 234.
The lack of a general consensus surrounding Woodward is a result of injury and athleticism concerns, coupled with his impressive college production.
In some eyes, like The Draft Network’s Joe Marino, the production outweighs the concerns.
“Woodward has been incredibly productive over the last two seasons for the Aggies on account of his exceptional processing skills, awareness, pursuit angles and tackling ability,” Marino writes. “With that said, his lack of an ideal athletic profile and modest play strength does present some limitations in the NFL. In addition, his medical history is concerning. With that aside, Woodward is an intriguing early down option in either a 3-4 or 4-3 as a MIKE linebacker while offering value in the special teams department.”
Others believe the injury woes and less than favorable measurements to be of greater importance than anything Woodward did in college.
“Woodward doesn’t look the part of NFL linebacker, with short limbs and an underdeveloped frame” NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein writes. “He has below-average athletic traits and lacks the speed to range from sideline to sideline. However, he’s instinctive and plays with a bird dog’s sense of tracking with a consistent ability to find the football. He’s active and tough but may not have the necessary physical tools to translate into an NFL job. First and foremost, he has to be given clearance by NFL medical staffs at the NFL Scouting Combine.”
No matter where he ends up, Andersen believes Woodward will ultimately find success.
“David is a tremendous football player and he gave everything he had to the program during his time here,” Andersen said. “The play that he made against Colorado State when he grabbed the ball out of the guy’s hands — he did it against Wake Forest and they called it dead — I don’t know how guys make plays like that. I don’t know how. I don’t know why. That’s when you know you’ve got a special player. David will be successful in whatever he chooses to do.”