30 Days of Colts' Fits: Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA
The 2022 NFL Draft is officially just a month away. In order to help you all along until draft day, I decided to start a daily prospect spotlight series to talk about some players that the Colts could target next month.
The players mentioned in this series will be players that I have either heard that the team is really high on, or are players that just make way too much sense for the team based on fit/past draft history.
Next up on the countdown to Draftmas is UTSA cornerback Tariq Woolen.
Background
Woolen is a former three star recruit that chose UTSA over offers from Baylor and Texas State out of high school. He initially signed on to play wide receiver, and he stayed at that spot all the way up until the final three games of his sophomore year.
He totaled 24 receptions for 263 yards and a touchdown before making the transition to cornerback. Once he flipped to the defense, he became an instant-impact player for the team.
He started 16 of the 20 games he played in during his final two seasons. He finished with 63 tackles, five tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, nine pass deflections, and two interceptions on defense.
For his play, Woolen was named Honorable Mention All-C-USA for his senior season. He was also invited to the 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl after the year, where he recorded the fastest on-field speed of any player in attendance.
Size/Testing Numbers
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 205 pounds
Arm Length: 33 5/8 inches
Testing Numbers: 40 Time: 4.26 seconds / Vertical Jump: 42 inches / Broad Jump: 131 inches / 3-Cone: 7.1 seconds
Ability on Film
Woolen has special athleticism that we rarely see in any player. Despite standing at 6'4", he glides on film and has easy speed to turn and run with wide receivers. While his overall technique and fundamentals are a bit raw at the moment (since he's only been playing the position for two years), he did show some impressive flashes on film.
This play below is a great example of those flashes. He turns and effortlessly runs with his receiver in man coverage. He sits in the receiver's back pocket, and then calmly makes a play on the ball as the receiver goes up to get it.
This is the pure coverage potential that Woolen has. He can make plays that would be difficult for any other cornerback look routine and easy.
On top of having elite coverage potential, Woolen is also a dog in the run game. He is not afraid to mix it up in run defense, and he looks like a safety when flying down into the box.
On this play below, he sheds the block of the tight end with ease before turning the corner to make the tackle for a loss. Woolen's ability and willingness in the run game would be an outstanding fit with what the Colts like out of their cornerbacks.
Fit with the Colts/Team Interest
The Colts' cornerback depth chart at the moment is... pretty rough. Outside of the top three players of Kenny Moore II, Isaiah Rodgers, and Brandon Facyson, the group is lacking NFL-caliber players at the moment.
While Woolen will likely need more development and work before he becomes a starter, he would be a perfect fourth cornerback early in his career. He could settle into that rotational role early on before taking over as a starter in 2023 or 2024.
The Colts have had a ton of success at developing cornerbacks in recent years (Rock Ya-Sin, Rodgers), so imagine what they could do with a player of Woolen's potential.
In terms of interest, the Colts seem ready to risk it all for Woolen. They met with him at the Senior Bowl and sent Pro Scout Anthony Coughlin to his Pro Day. They also hosted Woolen for a Top 30 visit recently.
Overall, Woolen has all the makings to be the Colts' "surprise" pick at 42 this year. He has the potential to be an elite cornerback in the NFL, he just needs more time and work.
Follow Zach on Twitter @ZachHicks2.
Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.
Pre-Order Our Indy Draft Guide! Full Guide Drops on April 11th. Only $8.99 with the code "draft"
