The New England Patriots may have uncovered one of the steals of the 2025 NFL Draft, a safety out of the University of California who is known as ‘The Eraser’.
The Patriots held the fourth pick in the fourth round of this year’s draft, meaning that they were sure to get one of the top picks. But they lucked out and were able to grab their first-choice, Craig Woodson.
The 24-year-old may have been 106th pick of the draft but he boasts a fairly unique set of skills and he earned himself a pretty impressive reputation during his college career. Speaking to ESPNCalifornia’s former defensive back coach Tre Watson explained the origins of Woodson’s ‘The Eraser’ moniker.
“That was a nickname I gave him because he was always going to make us right,” Watson explained.
“Any week we went into a game plan, if there was a matchup or a formation or personnel, he was going to be the one adjusting and cleaning up everything for us, because he could handle it. As well as his presence in the post, we didn’t get a lot of shots in the middle of the field because Craig was always going to be back there to erase it. If a play got busted, he was going to get it on the ground.
“That’s where it started, his nickname as ‘The Eraser’ because he was our clean-up guy.”
It’s a nickname that appears to have followed him to the Patriots and he’s showcased his skills during the Organized Team Activities (OTAs) over the past week. He has an innate ability to know where to be and notably picked off a pass from backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs on Wednesday.
“I think the biggest thing is the hard work and character of the person,” Watson said of Woodson. “His diligence to be a pro. His ability to tackle in open space. Just physicality and finishing. I think he exemplifies what the Patriots organization has always been as a competitoras a human and as someone blue-collar who is going to show up day in and day out.”
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