Former Packers fans draft crush might become available very soon

The Green Bay Packers had signs their tight end room needed a rebuild in 2022, with Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis regressing and entering a contract year. During the pre-draft process, it would be natural to consider options at the position, and when Virginia tight end Jelani Woods scored a perfect Relative Athletic Score, he immediately became a fan favorite.

The Packers ended up prioritizing the wide receiver position, and Woods was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round. One year later, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst took Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft to rejuvenate the room .

Surprise cut?

Destin Adams , who covers the Indianapolis Colts and the NFL Draft for A to Z Sports, wrote an interesting piece about potential surprise roster cuts in Indy, and Jelani Woods is among the three players chosen. Check out his reasoning.

^{"Fans were ecstatic when the Colts selected TE Jelani Woods in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Woods put on a clinic at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, and his impeccable athletic profile had many projecting him to be the next big thing at the TE position. After a modest rookie season, Woods was forced to miss his entire sophomore year due to a lingering hamstring injury. And since returning this year, he's struggled to stand out from the team's other TEs on the roster throughout training camp and the preseason. The Colts have five TEs who all have a solid case to earn one of the team's roster spots, and when it comes to Woods, the team will have to choose if they value the potential he holds over the play other TEs can provide right now."}

The bad news is that Woods suffered a new injury and will need toe surgery.

Would he make sense in Green Bay?

The Packers have two roster locks at the position, Musgrave and Kraft . Ben Sims, claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Vikings a year ago, is probably close to a lock. But beyond that, it's an open competition at tight end.

Tyler Davis has value as a special teamer and the coaching staff likes him a lot, but it's hard to justify that love since his performance hasn't inspired such a high confidence level. Joel Wilson, who finished last season on the practice squad, has had a solid camp, but the Packers will most likely be able to retain him on the PS once again.

Jelani Woods has 312 yards and three touchdowns in 2022. This might not seem like a lot, but it's a solid number for a rookie tight end — it's a really hard position to adapt from college to the NFL. The fact that he missed his second season is unfortunate, but hamstring injuries don't tend to be a reason for long-term concern.

The main problem for Woods and the Packers is that he only played 5% of the team's special teams snaps in 2022, and you would certainly want more in this area from the fourth tight end on your depth chart. However, Jelani Woods has a high ceiling as a receiver, and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia could compensate for that using Ben Sims more frequently — Tucker Kraft is also a regular special teamer.

Considering how Brian Gutekunst and Colts GM Chris Ballard tend to share a passion for athletic freaks, you can make a case that Gutekunst will also like a player Ballard decided to spend a day 2 pick on. And if Woods is available for free on waivers, the Packers could certainly give him a second chance.

Related: Packers' ascending tight ends are ready to make a year 2 leap