Seahawks CB Tariq Woolen Exceeding Early Expectations
It is, indeed, early. Yet Seahawks CB Tariq Woolen has already blended surprisingly polished technique with his never-seen-before athleticism to dominate NFL defense...and special teams:
Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen is already exceeding expectations in his rookie year.
While I said in the preseason that Woolen had the potential to be the greatest Seattle cornerback, I certainly didn’t think this promise would be showing up so soon from the 2022 5th round pick. In fact, with the tartare-raw elements on Woolen’s college tape, I felt it highly unlikely that the 23-year-old would even see the field on defense in year 1.
The fact that Woolen has been so staggeringly good over his first two NFL games—yes, as a starting right cornerback—is testament to the Seahawks’ coaching staff and his own coachability.
The rookie still has plenty of additional learning. Nevertheless, the man who only converted to defensive back in his redshirt sophomore season, and only first started at cornerback in 2020, is already showing special coverage at the highest level. The athletic traits are combining with quality technique.
Athleticism
Woolen’s athleticism was always the most obvious way he would shine on the field, his rare athletic gifts underpinning his game to the extent that defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt nicknamed him “avatar” in training camp. That “avatar” moniker has caught on, even if—as Woolen told reporters Thursday—the corner prefers a different tagline: “Shoot, I like ‘‘Riq the freak’ better.”
’Riq the freak indeed: We have never seen a football player as athletic as Woolen before. The fact that he fell to the 5th round in spite of this is a reminder of just how patchy his tape, and 2022 Senior Bowl, was.
See this tackle stopping a 51-yard gain. Woolen being able to not only run down Deebo Samuel from the backside cornerback spot but also manage to meet the receiver with a booming hit from a back-in-front position was a surreal experience.
Special Teams
I said on Seattle Overload that, due to his athletic profile, if Woolen wasn’t contributing on special teams immediately in year 1, it would be concerning. Or something to that effect. Thankfully, Woolen has already dominated the third phase of the game.
Justin Coleman’s week 2 absence gave Woolen the opportunity to play on field goal block. “That’s a whole timing thing, and me having speed and length, it’s helped out a lot,” Woolen explained Thursday on how his athleticism helps him in this part of specials. After San Francisco, the rookie will be the blocker-in-chief moving forward. The 49ers had multiple near-misses versus Woolen:
“I was close a couple of times,” Woolen stated on Thursday. “And I was actually coming from the left side. And I’m right hand dominant, so whenever I dived out, my right hand was always going out.”
Then Woolen got the chance to rush from the more advantageous right. “So, when I went to the other side and I dove out: my right hand was the part that actually got the ball,” he described. Woolen’s block led to Mike Jackson’s fumble recovery for a Seahawks touchdown. This was special get-off and bend around the corner.
Fitting The Run
The importance of a cornerback playing well against the run may not be the first element that pops into the mind. That said, Pete Carroll and the Seahawks have always loved physicality from their corners, and that extends to the run game. Furthermore, with Seattle running their fair share of middle field open defensive structures, the cornerbacks are often expected to help in the run fit, as immediate force defenders or crack-replacing their outside linebacker.
Woolen’s UTSA tape had a few question marks around his effort, while it also lacked exposure as a true run defender. In the NFL, though, the corner has already proven the scouting adage of “just because a player isn’t asked to do something, doesn’t mean they can’t.” In particular, Woolen has blended quick reading and understanding of the game with fearless physicality.
On this 1st and 10, the 49ers ran a 21 personnel, 2 backs 1 tight end, wide sweep play to the strongside of their formation. Seattle opted for their base approach against this look: a bear front, quarter-quarter-half defense called “Tite Will 6.” (Explained in more detail here)
Woolen was in a deep 1/4 zone to the strongside of the formation, meaning he was not technically in the immediate run fit. However, as soon as Woolen saw his receiver, #19 Deebo Samuel, go inside to crackback block the outside linebacker in front of him, Uchenna Nwosu, the corner reacted superbly.
Woolen replaced Nwosu’s force presence, turning back the fullback and forcing the run to cut back. The rush went for 8 yards due to other schematic issues, but Woolen executed his assignment well.
Woolen’s schematic understanding and focus as a crack-replace player showed up in a similar scenario versus the Denver Broncos. Again in “Tite Will 6”, the corner keyed the play and denied the outside-outside. (Once more, Seattle experienced the same bear front schematic issue of a free-releasing tight end sealing the linebacker, but Woolen did his job)
Kyle Shanahan looked to challenge Woolen by jet motioning into a nub formation that required the corner to be involved in the immediate run fit. Woolen stood up to the task on the 1st and 10.
Playing in a deep 1/3 zone, Woolen read his primary receiving threat block out on force defender Nwosu, so rapidly stepped up into the open B-Gap. With his eyes seeing the backfield, he was able to meet the wind-back block of #15 Jauan Jennings with outside leverage.
This turned the football and runner #19 Deebo Samuel back inside to the clean Cody Barton, and the linebacker was able to make the tackle for just a 2-yard gain.
Woolen’s splashiest run fit came in week 1 on a 2nd and 6. Once more, the Seahawks were in a quarter-quarter-half structure and Woolen, on the quarters side, had to make a play. Denver ran a wide toss that had Seattle’s defense in some trouble.
That’s because the force defender, outside linebacker Darrell Taylor, allowed himself to get reach-blocked by left tackle #72 Garrett Bolles. With the running back #33 Javonte Williams going outside of this block, and with K.J. Hamler’s fly sweep lead blocking for the back, this looked like a huge Broncos run.
Thankfully Woolen, in his deep 1/4, read the crackback block on his nickel corner, Justin Coleman, and stepped up on the play. From this outside position, Woolen smashed the leading Hamler over with a vicious near-shoulder strike, before meeting Williams. The RCB picked up a stinger in the process, but his heroics crucially brought up a passing third down for Denver. He also returned to the game.
Press Coverage
Okay, now to the oh-so-good coverage tape.
“I haven’t really given up any deep shots or touchdowns, and that’s one thing that, you know, I tried to implement to my game, not giving up deep balls,” the corner said on Thursday.
Woolen has been locking guys down.
In press, Woolen’s length has blended with a surprisingly refined soft shoe technique.