Seahawks 2022 Combine Confidential: Cornerbacks/Safeties

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - With free agency scheduled to kick off on March 16, the Seahawks have several key players set to test the market. Most notably, three former starters in the secondary - safety Quandre Diggs and cornerbacks D.J. Reed and Sidney Jones - will be free to sign with any team.

In the midst of recovering from surgery to repair a fractured fibula, Diggs has been one of the NFL's best free safeties over the past several years, picking off 13 passes in just 38 games since the Seahawks acquired him via trade from the Lions. Assuming he's on target to return well before the start of training camp, he should garner plenty of interest from other teams.

Meanwhile, Reed and Jones both should be in the prime of their respective careers, with each being under 26 years of age. Reed was especially effective for the Seahawks in 2021, giving up zero touchdowns and allowing less than a 48 percent completion rate in coverage over his last 12 games after transitioning back to right cornerback. Jones found his groove in the final six games as well, allowing only a 58.3 completion rate, less than 8.5 yards per reception, and no touchdowns in coverage.

Throughout the offseason, coach Pete Carroll has emphasized the desire for Seattle to retain as many of its own free agents as possible. New defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt highlighted Diggs and Reed as two players the team absolutely must bring back to solidify the back half of his unit, but that may be easier said than done.

"It's a big challenge. It really is," Carroll said of trying to re-sign all three players on Wednesday. "All those guys played well for us and did a good job. Quandre is a huge factor on our team and we love what he brings in all ways. The corners played really well. So we'll see what happens."

Though the Seahawks hope to re-sign Diggs, Reed, and Jones, it's possible one or more of those players will be in another uniform next season. Keeping that in mind, here are 12 cornerbacks and safeties who participated in the combine who Seattle could target in April's draft:

Outside Cornerbacks

Tariq Woolen

A lightly-recruited receiver when he committed to UTSA, Woolen produced 24 receptions for 263 yards and a touchdown in his first three seasons before transitioning to cornerback full time in 2020. The decision to move to defense ended up being a brilliant decision for the team and player, as he quickly emerged as a key contributor for a much-improved Roadrunners squad, amassing 60 tackles, two picks, and nine passes defensed over the past two seasons.

On film, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound Woolen remains raw and unpolished due to his limited experience at cornerback. His deficiencies with technique and route recognition were evident at times playing in the Senior Bowl in Mobile and he will have to change his mindset to become more active defending the run. But in terms of size and traits, there may not be a more enticing prospect in this class, as he's a phenomenal athlete who smoothly translates in and out of breaks and has shown flashes of being a capable ball hawk when properly positioned. There's major boom or bust potential here, but with adequate coaching, Woolen's ceiling is in outer space.

Kaiir Elam

Choosing Florida over 40 other schools who offered him a scholarship, Elam wasted little time becoming a fixture in the Gators' secondary, starting five games and playing in all 13 as a freshman. As a sophomore, he picked off two passes and generated 11 passes defensed, earning himself First-Team All-SEC honors, but he wasn't able to replicate that production in an injury-impacted junior season before declaring for the NFL early.

At 6-foot-1, 191 pounds, Elam has above-average size for an outside cornerback and while he struggled with consistency in press coverage, he has the physical tools to make that a strength in his game at the next level. A fluid athlete, he excels tracking the football and showed a penchant for getting his hands on the football, including on contested throws downfield. He needs to shore up his hand placement and footwork to better impede the short game for opposing receivers and his tackling against the run leaves something to be desired. Both of those areas can be coached up, however, and given his ball skills and athletic traits, he has the upside to be a long-term starter and potential Pro Bowler.

Jalyn Armour-Davis

Another four-star recruit who landed in the SEC with Alabama, Armour-Davis had to wait for his turn to play behind future NFL standouts Trevon Diggs and Patrick Surtain Jr., producing just three tackles and two passes defensed in his first two collegiate seasons. Finally given the chance to play extensive snaps as a junior, he earned Second-Team All-SEC honors from coaches after picking off three passes and producing four passes defensed in 2021.

While Elam started for three years, Armour-Davis' lack of experience could be seen defending the vertical game, as he yielded too many deep balls in coverage and didn't always play with confidence with his back turned away from the quarterback. With that said, he size/length should allow him to develop into a quality press/man corner and improved technique in that regard coupled with excellent closing speed and improved ball tracking will help immensely with cutting down on explosives at the next level. A willing and able tackler in the run game and after the catch, he will offer teams such as Seattle immediate special teams value and could play on defense earlier than expected in the right scheme.

Kyler Gordon

Staying put in the Pacific Northwest, Gordon transitioned from a four-star recruit at Archbishop Murphy High School in Everett to commit to Washington. After playing in just four games and redshirting as a freshman, he appeared in 29 games over the past three years with 17 starts, producing 95 tackles and two interceptions while earning First-Team All-Pac 12 honors in 2021.

Bringing a little bit of everything to the table in terms of athleticism and size, the 5-foot-11, 194-pound Gordon plays a physical brand of football on the outside in press coverage and has the quickness and speed to excel manned up as well. Capable of delivering big hits as a tackler, he's a plus-run defender for his position and flies to the football with a safety's mindset. Where he must improve to succeed at the next level is his route recognition - he can be exposed by double moves - which has limited his ball production at the college level. The tools are in place though for him to make a lot more interceptions at next level if he learns to trust his eyes and play with greater anticipation in coverage.

Tariq Castro-Fields

Finding his way onto the field early in his career at Penn State, Castro-Fields enjoyed an excellent collegiate career at Penn State, producing 139 tackles, three interceptions, and an impressive 25 passes defensed. He garnered Third-Team All-Big Ten honors in 2019 and was an honorable mention selection in his final two years on campus in Happy Valley.

Possessing decent size at 6-foot-1, 197 pounds, Castro-Fields projects to be a capable press/man cover corner at the next level. But for that to happen, he's going to have to improve staying glued to opposing receivers out of their breaks, an area he persistently struggled with in college. He often fell victim to double moves trying to gamble jumping routes as well, so anticipation has been problematic. On the flip side, his ball production indicates he makes good use of his length disrupting passing lanes and if he can cut down on the coverage breakdowns, some of those deflections could turn to picks in the NFL. Also known for his tackling skills, he's likely a contributor on special teams on day one with starter potential down the road.

Zyon McCollum

One of the top cornerbacks at the FCS level since committing to Sam Houston State in 2017, McCollum posted a ridiculous career stat line with 205 tackles, 13 interceptions, 54 passes defensed, and six forced fumbles. He earned All-Southland honors three consecutive seasons before being named a Third-Team All-American as a senior in 2021.

Like any FCS standout, McCollum will face a difficult acclimation period in terms of level of competition jumping to the pros, but he has good size (6-foot-2, 199 pounds), excellent ball skills, and ran a sizzling 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the combine. That's legitimate NFL athleticism for an outside cornerback and if that speed translates on the field and he can curb some of the issues he had with vertical routes in college, the potential is there for him to be a quality starter in the league. Like Castro-Fields, he likely begins his career battling for special teams reps, but with adequate coaching, he looks to have a promising future.

Slot Cornerbacks

Trent McDuffie

Another four-star cornerback recruit who found his way to Montlake, McDuffie immediately found his way into the lineup for Washington with 11 starts as a true freshman in 2019. In three seasons with the program, he amassed 95 tackles, two interceptions, and eight passes defensed, earning Second-Team All-Pac 12 honors in 2020 and First-Team All-Pac 12 recognition in 2021.

While McDuffie doesn't offer great size at 5-foot-11, 193 pounds, he compensates for his lack of height and length with outstanding technique and competitive tenacity. He's surprisingly effective in press coverage and swings his hips open smoothly to stay in the pocket of receivers as they transition out of breaks on routes. He's also an excellent tackler who plays fearlessly coming up from his corner spot and putting his helmet into the fight against the run. The ball production wasn't there statistically, but while that may create warranted concerns for teams, those numbers also reflect the lack of targets thrown his way. Playing on the outside or in the slot, he looks the part of a day one starter.

Roger McCreary

Recruited as a three-star safety, McCreary found a home on the perimeter for Auburn, finding his way into the lineup as a sophomore and transforming into one of the top cornerbacks in the SEC. In his final three years with the Tigers, he racked up 130 tackles, six interceptions, 29 passes defensed, and a defensive touchdown, earning himself First-Team All-SEC honors as a senior.

From a size perspective, McCreary's 28 7/8-inch arms could be an issue given his strengths and preferred playing style. He's at his best when he can bully receivers in press coverage and impact their releases off the snap, which could be tougher to execute against NFL receivers with such limited length. But considering he was able to consistently disrupt top receivers in the SEC, that shouldn't be a major concern for prospective teams. Add in the fact he is a feisty cover corner working against verticals and will come up to hit ball carriers in the run game, he should be able to carve out a role as a starter in the slot or on the outside depending on scheme.

Damarion Williams

Finding his way to Houston after taking the JUCO route, Williams quickly found his way into the Cougars starting lineup in 2019, producing 73 tackles and two interceptions in 12 games. While his production took a dive in 2020 due to a COVID-shortened season, he bounced back 63 tackles, an interception, and eight passes defensed in 2021.

Built with a more prototypical slot frame at 5-foot-10, 182 pounds, Williams brings plenty of intangibles to the table as a two-time team captain who has played snaps at safety as well as outside cornerback in college. More quick than fast, he can change direction effectively working against shifty receivers from the slot and match up against them out of breaks, allowing him to make plays on the football. Not running the 40 at the combine casts some doubt about his speed and he got beat occasionally with deep balls at the college level, while his tackling wasn't always clean. But his fluid hips, short-area quickness, and aggressive demeanor at the line of scrimmage would match up well as a slot in Seattle's scheme.

Safeties

J.T. Woods

After playing sparingly in his first two seasons at Baylor, Woods emerged as one of the Big 12's best playmaking safeties during his final two years in Waco. Starring at the free safety spot in coach Dave Aranda's defense, he registered 104 tackles and eight interceptions while also scoring two defensive touchdowns. He also shined at the Senior Bowl by picking off Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe.

In terms of consistency, Woods' career with the Bears was a bit of a roller coaster. While he exhibited the range and ball-hawking ability NFL teams covet in center field, he also had a penchant for giving up chunk plays on busted assignments and playing a bit too aggressively jumping routes. He also missed more tackles than teams would have liked to see on tape, though his aggressive nature puts him in position to make a lot of plays against the run. If he can become more disciplined and harness his aggression in coverage, however, he has an excellent size and athleticism combination to develop into a quality starter with Pro Bowl upside.

Jaquan Brisker

Going the JUCO route, Brisker arrived at Penn State as a rotational sub-package safety before eventually becoming a starter in 2020. In three seasons, he spent time playing both safety positions for the Nittany Lions, producing 151 tackles, five interceptions, and 14 passes defensed while earning First-Team All-Big Ten recognition as a senior in 2021.

One of the more versatile safety prospects in this year's draft, Brisker has enough athleticism and ball skills to play as a single-high or two-deep free safety while also bringing the physicality to the table necessary to play in the box and match up with tight ends in coverage. While there are times where his route recognition can be delayed and put him in tough spots in coverage, he improved in that regard last season and seemed more confident in his technique overall. He can play a bit erratic at times against the run in terms of breaking down to tackle, but he doesn't miss ball carriers often and his well-rounded skill set should make him a day two target as a potential long-term starter at either safety spot.

Kerby Joseph

A textbook definition of a late bloomer, Joseph didn't become a full-time starter until his senior season at Illinois, primarily playing special teams and as a sub-package reserve up to that point. Breaking out in a big way in 2021, he led the Illini with five interceptions and also recovered a pair of fumbles, earning Second-Team All-Big Ten honors from coaches and First-Team All-Big Ten recognition from media.

While the 6-foot-1, 203-pound Joseph didn't run the 40 at the combine, he exhibited quality range and closing speed to make plays on routes at the free safety position. Given his lack of experience, he was fooled a few times by route combinations and can be delayed reacting in coverage, which led to big plays. Built with a thin frame, he doesn't project to play in the box and will need some tune-ups on his tackling form at the next level. But with the assumption playing more will help him develop from an instincts standpoint, he has the ball skills and athletic profile to emerge as a quality starting free safety in time.

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