Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Pete Carroll crowns second-year Seahawks CB the most skilled player he's coached

By Vinny Somma | Last updated 8/18/23

At 71 years old, Pete Carroll is the oldest head coach in the NFL. With 23 years of coaching experience in the pros and a historic nine-year collegiate run at USC, Carroll has crossed paths with some of the sport's elite talents—especially in the secondary.

From ushering in the Legion of Boom era in Seattle with Richard Sherman and company to serving as the head coach for Hall of Famer Ty Law in New England, Carroll has an all-time resume for coaching elite-level defensive backs. However, in Carroll's eyes, those great players' skill sets pale compared to second-year cornerback Tariq Woolen.

“I’ve never coached anybody that has as many skills as he has," Carroll said of Woolen on Thursday via Greg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune.

Tariq Woolen is a Top __ CB heading into Year 2? pic.twitter.com/vMqcUqv4yZ
— PFF (@PFF) July 29, 2023

The parallels between Sherman and Woolen are stark. Both players began their college careers as wide receivers before moving to cornerback. Each player entered the league with little fanfare as fifth-round picks. Yet, each vastly outperformed their draft position, earning spots on the 2011 and 2022 Pro Football Focus All-Rookie teams, respectively.

As a rookie in 2022, Woolen flashed high-end playmaking skills, tying for the league lead in interceptions with six and adding another nine pass breakups, earning Pro Bowl honors along the way.

27 days until the Seahawks kickoff the 2023 season!

Tariq Woolen burst onto the scene in 2022, tying for the NFL lead in INT. He earned himself a Pro Bowl and finished 3rd in Defensive ROTY voting (a travesty).

One of the most athletic cornerbacks in the entire game pic.twitter.com/5QWEyLO2Vw
— Nick Lee (@NickLee51) August 14, 2023

The next step in Woolen's development will be trimming down on penalties (8) and shoring up his tackling—his 7.4 missed tackle percentage tied for fourth-worst among Seahawks starters last season. If he can clean up his play in these areas and continue to serve as a ballhawk, the sky is the limit for the 24-year-old Woolen.

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