If Cal safety Craig Woodson gets drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, there won’t be the need for an introduction between himself and his position coach. Because it’ll be the man who recruited him to college and coached him during his freshman season. New Steelers defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander convinced Woodson to make the trip from Texas to California, spending the 2019 season together before Alexander left for the NFL. But in just a year, Alexander transformed Woodson’s career.
“He taught me the game, for real,” Alexander told reporters, including our own Joe Clark, at the NFL Combine. “He showed us like a lot of NFL film whenever we first got there. He’s a great coach. Just learned how to work, learn how to, study, film, do all of that. So I think he really gave me a foundation of what a DB is.”
A running back growing up who idolized Le’Veon Bell, Woodson was a light two-star recruit from Grand Prairie, Texas. Cal and UTSA were his biggest offers and while the Golden Bears were the largest program, it required Woodson to move to a completely different part of the country. As a freshman, he appeared in only four games in 2019 but learned the ropes from Alexander, setting him up for a great rest of his career.
Bouncing back from a season-ending 2021 knee injury, he returned in 2022 with a chip on his shoulder and a healthy knee. That year, he posted 75 tackles, a pair of picks, and three fumble recoveries. A hitter who plays big, Woodson forced two fumbles the following season and wrapped up his 2024 campaign with 70 more tackles and two more picks. Of his five career interceptions, a sideline snag against Oregon State stands out for baiting the quarterback into a mistake.
“That was one that we had seen on film before. We had a good disguise,” he said. “We were in a Tampa Two, we had a good disguise, and was able to get back there on the half. Once the quarterback looked that way, we knew that quarterback was a guy who kind of went with his first read. Once he turned and looked that way, I already knew what it was.”
His ability to hold and disguise coverages, no doubt helped by NFL coaching by men like Alexander, was something we noted in our scouting report. A savvy veteran, no role or coverage is new to him and the pattern-matching defense he played in has him prepared for a complex NFL playbook.
Reuniting with Alexander in Pittsburgh would make for a dream. And a seamless transition.
“It would be really cool. I actually seen him in the airport when I was just waiting on a flight to come here,” Woodson said. “We chopped it up a little bit. He’s a great dude, great coach, and I mean, if I got the opportunity to be with him again, that would be amazing.”
In an era where many prospects do only some or zero testing, Woodson says he’ll fully participate at the Combine. Regarded as a Day 3 prospect, his high school high-jump background could produce impressive numbers in the vert and broad. Long speed and his 40-time will be his biggest questions to answer.
With a need for depth at safety, Woodson could be on the Steelers’ radar come the fourth round. With Alexander on staff, they’ll know as much about him as any other team. Check out our complete scouting report below.
