3 players the Seahawks should take on Day 3 of the 2022 NFL draft

The last day of the 2022 NFL draft is Saturday and there is still a lot of talent left. The Seattle Seahawks also still have needs to fill even though they have done a really good of fixing the offensive line in this year’s draft.

Seattle hasn’t done anything to address its cornerback group so far but there remain potentially very productive players at that position, should the Seahawks choose to go in that direction. Especially since Seattle picks at 109, which is the fourth choice in round 4.

After pick 109, Seattle has to wait a bit until selection 145 but even then there are so many good players left that Seattle should find a very productive player.

Here are three players the Seahawks should definitely think of taking on Day 3 of the 2022 NFL draft.

Cornerback Coby Bryant, Cincinnati

I am a bit shocked that Bryant is still around. He has lots of starting experience in college and was good enough in 2021 to win the Jim Thorpe Award for best DB in college football. Bryant’s weaknesses appear to be his “short” arms – 30 1/2″ – and his seeming lack of good technique in run support.

Tackling technique can be taught, however, and in DBs coach Karl Scott, Seattle has just the coach to teach Bryant well. As far as Bryant’s arm length, that can’t be helped. But in his last two seasons in college, he had 6 interceptions combined so his short arms might not actually be hurting him.

Cornerback Tariq Woolen, University of Texas-San Antonio

Woolen is a physical freak as he is 6’4″ and 210 pounds, had the top measured max speed (22.45 MPH) of any other player regardless of position at the Senior Bowl and has 33 1/2″ arms. So why is he still around? Because he is still learning how to be a cornerback after transitioning from wide receiver in college.

Woolen isn’t ready to be an NFL starter but taking him in round four (or possibly even round five) would be smart. It isn’t that Woolen can’t be an NFL CB, he just isn’t ready to start yet. But by 2023, he could be a shutdown corner.

Receiver Calvin Austin III, Memphis

Austin is blazingly fast as he ran a 4.32 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He also had a 39″ vertical jump and ran the 20-yard shuttle in 4.07 seconds. There shouldn’t be any doubt that Austin has the physical skill to be productive in the NFL. But, well, he’s small. He is 5’8″ and 170 pounds.

But in Shane Waldron’s offense, Austin can be used in a multitude of ways and in one on one coverage would be hard to keep up with. He is also a dynamic punt returner. Last year at Memphis, Austin had 5 punt returns for 135 yards – a 27.0-yard average per return – and a touchdown. If nothing else, Seattle could take him and make him into a special teams weapon.