On Thursday, the Seattle Seahawks made NFL history with a draft class that has already been established as one of the best in franchise history. Head coach/shotcaller Pete Carroll, general manager John Schneider, and Seattle’s personnel staff hit on five early impact starters in offensive tackles Charles Cross and Abe Lucas, running back Kenneth Walker, and cornerbacks Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen. As rookie pass-rusher Boye Mafe is starting to announce his presence with authority, you could argue that the Seahawks will have six indispensable players in one draft class by season’s end.
That is a historic haul, to say the least. So, this week, it wasn’t a huge surprise when the Seahawks became the first team in league history to have an Offensive Rookie of the Month in Walker, and a Defensive Rookie of the Month in Woolen.
In Woolen’s case, the fifth-rounder from the University of Texas at San Antonio had 19 tackles, five passes defensed, three interceptions (including a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown) and two fumble recoveries across five games (Weeks 4-8) in October. He was the only player in the league with multiple interceptions and multiple fumble recoveries during the month.
Woolen has become a true lockdown cornerback sooner than just about anybody could have expected, but was he the best defensive rookie in October, Was he even the best rookie cornerback in October? There is an equivalent case to be made for Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner of the New York Jets. The fourth overall pick out of Cincinnati obviously cost the Jets a lot more than Woolen cost the Seahawks in terms of draft capital and actual money, but he’s playing to or beyond the level expected.
So, who should have been the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month: Sauce Gardner or Tariq Woolen? Let’s get into the tape and the metrics.