Seahawks' freak athlete ranked among NFL's top 2026 free agents

From the time he was drafted until the day he was traded, DK Metcalf was the best pure athlete on the Seattle Seahawks' roster. For the foreseeable future Metcalf will be lining up for the Pittsburgh Steelers along with George Pickens and whoever they settle on as their next starting quarterback.

As for the hole that Metcalf's absence leaves behind, he has since been replaced by long-time NFC West nemesis and Yakima native Cooper Kupp, but the Seahawks are also expected to draft a wide receiver early, as well. As for the title of best athlete on the roster, that championship belt now belongs to cornerback Riq Woolen, who's entering the final year of his rookie contract.

It's difficult to project what's in Woolen's future. His ridiculous athleticism gives him a ceiling no NFL cornerback can match. However, Woolen may be a little too gifted for his own good and has been known to lose focus occasionally and give up big plays. Woolen has also been benched by both Pete Carroll and Mike Macdonald, first for not tackling and then for violating team rules.

Nevertheless, Woolen's physical tools make him a rare asset even at the highest level of the game. That means if he were to become a free agent he'd be one of the best names on the market. The Athletic has ranked Woolen as the 20th best player in the 2026 free agent class.

Athletic on Riq Woolen - free agency

"Woolen has elite size and speed, and he has the sticky coverage skills in man coverage to give fits to even some of the best outside receivers in the league. He is tough to get past in press coverage at the line of scrimmage. When Woolen does get beat off the line, he has the length and wheels to recover..."

There's no doubt some team would be giddy to pay Woolen a massive long-term contract if he does hit the market next March. However, we don't see that as a realistic possibility. There is a chance that the Seahawks decide to trade Woolen at some point before the 2025 trade deadline. There's also a chance they'll re-sign Woolen to a lucrative deal, themselves. Allowing Woolen to leave and getting nothing in return should be out of the question.

Hopefully this is the year that it all comes together for Woolen and he starts performing like the All-Pro we all know he has in him. If that's the case, the Seahawks should re-sign him even before the regular season is over. If Woolen continues to take plays off and be hesitant as a tackler then they should be exploring trade scenarios come October.

Athletic on Riq Woolen - free agency

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