The Patriots haven’t eased rookie safety Craig Woodson into the NFL.

Woodson, a fourth-round pick out of California, currently leads Patriots defenders with 301 total snaps on defense. He’s played 97.4% of defensive snaps, and he’s tied for second with four tackles for loss and is currently third with 27 tackles.

“I think he’s a good communicator. He’s good in an open field. He’s been able to handle a lot of volume, take care of his body,” head coach Mike Vrabel said. “He hasn’t been perfect, but I feel like he’s just — there’s some snaps I’m sure he’d like to have back, but there’s been a — it hasn’t been too big for him, and he stayed healthy, so that’s the biggest thing.”

Woodson starts next to his college teammate Jaylinn Hawkins, who was four years ahaed of him at the University of

See Full Page