When the Seattle Seahawks chose cornerback Riq Woolen in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the hope was that he would eventually be able to take all of his immense raw physical ability and turn that into greatness on the field. Surprisingly, he did that as a rookie, which still is arguably his best season.
After some rather mercurial seasons in Seattle, though, he left in free agency and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. Woolen could be great in coverage, but he was exceedingly inconsistent playing the run, and he failed at times in the most important parts of tight games, such as against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game, when he gave up a long touchdown pass.
Instead of trying to see if Woolen might become a more consistent player physically and mentally, Seattle didn't give the cornerback a huge offer in free agency, and he left for what could be one of the worst cities for him to play in. He is now a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen making a positive impression with the Philadelphia Eagles
While fans in the Pacific Northwest can be harsh on a player who underperforms and seemingly, at times, doesn't care that he is, fans in Philly can be extremely harsh. If Woolen suffers letdowns this coming season, he will feel it more than he did at Lumen Field.
Still, he appears to be impressing his new teammates and the reporters who cover the Eagles. Multiple persons in the media have claimed that the cornerback has been a standout in organized team activities so far, and heading into minicamp, has already made a very positive mark.
Zach Berman of The Athletic (subscription required) recently posted, "The player I’ve heard the most praise for this spring? Riq Woolen. Might be some novelty bias because it’s their first time seeing him, but he’s showing up in this session, too. Remained tight in coverage vs. DeVonta Smith. Reminds me of the way Zack Baun (and) Isaiah Rodgers were received two years ago. They could tell right away."
Of course, as Seattle Seahawks fans know quite well, Riq Woolen might be electric in training camp and for stretches of real games, but he is also prone to losing self-control during important games and drawing a silly flag for taunting or unsportsmanlike conduct. He is also prone to immediately following that penalty by giving up an explosive play.
That exact situation happened multiple times last season, which is one reason that head coach Mike Macdonald began to lose some faith in the cornerback. While Woolen is capable of greatness, he is also capable of disrupting team chemistry on the field.
After Woolen's penalty-and-touchdown allowed against the Rams in the NFC Championship, rookie Nick Emmanwori took it upon himself to give the older defensive back a stern talking to. Woolen's immaturity can get the better of him. In Philadelphia, Eagles fans won't let that kind of thing slide as easily as it did in Seattle.
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