The Seattle Seahawks held their annual mock game at Lumen Field on Saturday and both the starters and the rookies were on full display. One defensive player who really shined was cornerback Tariq Woolen.
“God, he’s a physical specimen,” quarterback Geno Smith said after the scrimmage. “I mean, he’s amazing. He’s taller than me and a lot faster than I am. So, when you’re trying to throw passes on a guy like that, you really can see his wingspan. He can make a ton of plays and there aren’t many guys who can run step for step with DK Metcalf and Marquise Goodwin, but he’s one of them.”
Woolen was selected by Seattle in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft out of UTSA, where he began his college career as a wide receiver. His quickness put him on the map at the scouting combine, where he ran a 4.26-second 40-yard dash.
“Really, I just feel like speed is my greatest asset,” Woolen told reporters. “I ran track my whole life. I played football my whole life. Throughout the whole process of just getting here and getting faster and throughout the whole Combine process, you always train for 40-yard dashes and stuff like that. I just feel like all that speed has carried over throughout the years and now I can show it to the world and show it to my teammates too.
“It’s pretty cool being the fast guy on the team and being able to run with an Olympian like Marquise Goodwin and a stallion like DK Metcalf so it feels good to be able to keep up with those guys.”
The Seahawks have a walk-through Sunday afternoon before an off-day on Monday.
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