Patriots select S Craig Woodson at No. 106 overall in 2025 NFL draft

The New England Patriots opened up Day 3 of the 2025 NFL draft by selecting California safety Craig Woodson with the No. 106 pick.

It’s a surprising pick for New England considering Ohio State edge rusher Jack Sawyer was still on the board. Edge rusher was one of the team’s biggest needs heading into the draft, and they chose to add more safety depth instead.

The top two safeties on the roster are currently Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers, both of whom signed contract extensions with the team last year.

Woodson racked up 70 tackles, nine pass deflections and two interceptions at California last season. He’ll be entering a deep position with other quality talent in New England, including Marte Mapu, Jaylinn Hawkins and Dell Pettus.

This was the first defensive pick of the draft for the Patriots after using their first four picks on all offensive players on Day 1 and Day 2.

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