Two-day mandatory minicamp started for the LA Chargers on Tuesday, June 14th after a series of voluntary OTA workouts in the previous weeks. This two-day minicamp gives Chargers fans their only taste of the Bolts until training camp officially begins in August.
The last remaining rookie that needed to be signed from the 2022 NFL Draft class ended up signing right on time to get going for minicamp. Third-round pick JT Woods was the last player that needed to be signed and he agreed to his rookie contract on Tuesday morning with the team.
This gave Woods plenty of time to get ready for the first day of minicamp and he decided that he wanted to make as big of an impact as he could make on that first day. Woods was touted as a ball-hawk coming out of the draft and he put that on full display by intercepting Justin Herbert.
#Chargers QB Justin Herbert picked off by newly signed S JT Woods at mini camp… defense goes crazy celebrating.
— Taylor Bisciotti (@TaylorBisciotti) June 14, 2022
I miss football.
Don't worry about Justin Herbert getting picked off, he will be just fine. The noteworthy part of this play is the fact that Woods made a play on his QB and was able to make his mark the first day that he stepped on the field with a Chargers contract.
JT Woods is going to add athleticism to the LA Chargers' safety position
While the Chargers still have Derwin James and Nasir Adderley, JT Woods should get plenty of playing time on the Bolts in 2022. Woods adds raw athleticism that simply was not there in the safety room last season as his blend of speed and ball-hawking ability is going to play really nicely in this stacked secondary.
Having another viable player to play in the two-deep scheme is going to be very important for the Chargers as the team utilizes Derwin James and his versatility around the defense. James is at his best when he is moving around and targeting certain matchups and having Woods back there as a reliable option makes it possible for James to do more of that.
He is raw in some areas but for what the Chargers need him to do in year one he should be more than capable of making a difference. Then, he should be ready to step up in year two if needed if Nasir Adderley ends up leaving the team as a free agent.
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If his first minicamp is any indication, Woods could be in for a promising rookie season in which he turns heads and forces several takeaways throughout the year.