2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Tariq Woolen

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Tariq Woolen, 6-4/205 Cornerback UTSA

Tariq Woolen Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Excellent size/speed combination

Very tall

Extremely fast

Elite speed

Great length, height

Leaping ability

Has enough height to defend big receivers, tight ends

Weapon to cover pass-receiving tight ends

Long, press-man corner

Tough to get passes by him

Nice recoverability

Athletic

Quick feet

Weaknesses:

Extremely raw

Only two seasons at corner

Needs a lot of development

Lacks instincts

Poor technique

Poor route recognition

Gets out of position in zone

Not a contributor in run defense

Not tough

Terrible tackler

Summary: Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy made waves in the draft community last fall when he posted that Tariq Woolen could be a second- or third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. After reaching out to some area scouts who cover Texas, two of them said they had Woolen on Day 3 and one said they had him on Day 2. Woolen only played two seasons of cornerback after moving from wide receiver, but he showed a superb skill set with daunting size and serious speed for the position. In 2020, Woolen collected 35 tackles, one interception and four passes broken up. In 2021, he totaled 25 tackles, an interception and five passes defended. While he did not impress at the Senior Bowl, Woolen showed tremendous straight-line speed at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine with a 40 time of 4.30 seconds.

In pass coverage, Woolen would fit best as a bump-and-run cornerback. He is big enough to be a press-man corner who manipulates the route that receivers can run after his jam. Woolen has god-given height and length to handle big receivers. Along with his size, Woolen has above-average athletic ability to run with receivers downfield, and he uses his length to help him recover. Given his leaping ability and long frame, Woolen is able to extend to break up passes and close gaps to prevent completions.



There is no doubt that Woolen is raw and needs development for the NFL. He has a severe lack of instincts and poor route recognition. That showed in his inconsistent play against receivers with his back turned to the quarterback and getting stuck out of position in zone. Woolen also is a poor tackler and needs to get much tougher. Not only does his tackling form need improvement, but he needs to show more attitude and become willing to tackle. Woolen will be a big-time project for his NFL defensive backs coach, and he is going to need a red-shirt season to develop before he should be trusted to cover pro receivers.

Woolen could go on the second day during the 2012 NFL Draft, he and should not fall lower than the early rounds of Day 3.



Player Comparison: Kevin King. Woolen is similar size and speed to King, but King was far more polished coming into the NFL. If Woolen is able to develop and sticks in the NFL, he could be a corner comparable to King.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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