Caleb Woodson

ILB·Alabama#230 overall
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Draft Movement

#222 · Jun 8#230 · now

Down 8 spots since Jun 8

Scouting Report

Caleb Woodson is a converted-safety linebacker who spent three seasons as a defensive force in Virginia Tech's Lunch Pail Defense before entering the transfer portal in January 2026 and committing to Alabama for his senior year. At 6'3", 230 pounds, he is a long, rangy athlete whose background is unusual: a six-year competitive swimmer who reached the Junior Olympics, then a baseball centerfielder, before football took over at Battlefield High in Haymarket, Virginia. He arrived as a 200-pound safety and grew into the position, sliding from outside to inside linebacker in 2024, the move he credits for his breakout. The 2027 outlook is still raw. Sam Teets ranks him No. 266 in his summer top-300 in the 'Prospects with Draftable Traits' tier, while NFL Mock Draft Database lists him as a projected UDFA at No. 797. Bipslist is more bullish, putting an 82.0 film grade on him with 8.5 coverage and pursuit marks and 8.0 grades for tackling, block-shedding, and instinct. The tape backs both the traits and the warts: real speed, fluid coverage movement for his size, and effort to the ball, but he struggles to diagnose plays quickly, lets blockers climb into him, and too often takes poor angles to the ball. Production has been solid but unspectacular, peaking at 72 tackles in 2024, and an offseason DWI arrest is an off-field flag. He profiles as a developmental, traits-over-instincts linebacker and special-teams candidate, with his Alabama season a real chance to raise his stock.

Strengths

  • Long, rangy 6'3", 230-pound frame with legitimate movement skills
  • Bipslist 82.0 film grade with 8.5 coverage and pursuit marks
  • Moves fluidly in pass coverage and carries backs and tight ends for a converted safety
  • Real speed that shows up running to the football sideline to sideline
  • Versatile, having played both outside and inside linebacker plus safety
  • Productive tackler with a 72-tackle, 7.5-TFL, 2-sack peak in 2024
  • Elite athletic background as a Junior Olympic swimmer and baseball centerfielder
  • Detail-oriented film study habits he says separate his preparation

Weaknesses

  • Struggles to diagnose plays quickly, slowing his trigger downhill
  • Lets blockers climb into him instead of stacking and shedding cleanly
  • Frequently takes poor angles to the ball carrier
  • Instincts lag behind his physical tools as a recent position convert
  • Production solid but never elite, never hitting double-digit TFLs or a sack-heavy season
  • Offseason DWI arrest is an off-field red flag teams will weigh

College Stats

Virginia Tech 2023: 22 tkl (12 solo), 1.5 TFL; 2024: 72 tkl (26 solo), 7.5 TFL, 2 sk, 1 INT (7 yds), 2 PD; 2025: 57 tkl (26 solo), 1 PD; transferred to Alabama for 2026

Measurables

Height
6'3"
Weight
230

Awards & Honors

Sam Teets summer top-300 No. 266 (Prospects with Draftable Traits tier); NFL Mock Draft Database consensus No. 797, projected UDFA