Xavier Woods

Woods joined the Panthers last offseason and subsequently finished third on the team in tackles. Logging time in 15 games, he posted 86 stops, defended six passes and recovered two fumbles. While the veteran restructured his contract this spring, Woods faces more competition from a healthy Jeremy Chinn and free-agent addition Vonn Bell in 2023. Carolina also is transitioning to a new defensive coordinator in Ejiro Evero, which will make its safety rotation interesting to monitor.

Woods has started every game that he's played over the past four seasons. Last year, he played all 17 contests for the Vikings, finishing with career bests in tackles (108), interceptions (three) and sacks (one). Upon joining the Panthers on a third-year deal this offseason, Woods is anticipated to start at free safety alongside the ascendant Jeremy Chinn.

Woods figures to step right in as the starting free safety next to Harrison Smith as part of a reconfigured Vikings secondary in 2021. The four-year pro piled together 70-plus tackles for the Cowboys in both of the last two seasons, but he was a net negative when it came to pass coverage.

A sixth-round pick in 2017, Woods emerged as a solid safety last year, recording a career-high 77 tackles in 15 games including two games with double digits. While he hasn't shown much of a talent for big plays so far, a new day is dawning for the Cowboys defense that could signal better days ahead, as Rod Marinelli's old-school, bend-don't-break approach is out, and Mike Nolan's more aggressive, turnover-focused scheme is in. Woods did rack up 14 interceptions over his three seasons as a starter for Louisiana Tech, compared to five in three NFL seasons, and he could yet emerge as a reliable IDP asset in deeper formats.

Woods claimed a starting safety spot in his second NFL season, recording 56 tackles and two INTs in 14 games last year, and with the Cowboys having failed to bring in any real competition for him, the Louisiana Tech product will get a chance to improve on those numbers in 2019.