Raiders Third-Round Possibilities, Part 19

The Las Vegas Raiders should still have a number of difference makers to choose from in the 2022 NFL Draft, including UTSA's Tariq Woolen.

Entering the 2022 NFL Draft without a first or second-round pick, the Las Vegas Raiders need to identify players who offer the most upside. 

One player that offers tantalizing potential is University of Texas at San Antonio cornerback Tariq Woolen, who the Raiders met with a couple of weeks ago. 

After starting his college career as a wide receiver, Woolen made the transition to defense in 2020 and has been playing corner since.

That makes it understandable then that Woolen's numbers in coverage haven't been great, giving up passer ratings of 99.5 or more the last two seasons. 

It's about projections with prospects, though, and the upside that comes with a physical specimen like Woolen would be hard to pass up. 

At 6-4 and 205 pounds, Woolen offers near unparalleled size and length for the cornerback position. 

The athleticism for that size is even more impressive, and Woolen showed that at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine. 

Woolen ran a 4.26 40-yard dash time at the Combine, the second-fastest time recorded this year and the fourth-fastest time in the history of the event. 

He was also able to record a 42-inch vertical leap and a 10-foot, 11-inch broad jump, showing off a level of explosiveness that doesn't come around often. 

It can't be denied the learning curve with Woolen could be significant with the limited amount of time he's had to play the position. 

It was to the point once the COVID-19 pandemic hit that one of the ways Woolen had to use to learn defensive schemes was by playing NFL Madden video game. 

Throughout it all, he managed to acclimate himself enough to be a legitimate prospect at cornerback heading to the NFL. 

It's a testament to both the talent and work ethic that Woolen has that he's been able to make that kind of progress in a relatively short time. 

Woolen would give the Raiders a physical presence at cornerback unlike many in the league, and that's with already having corners like Trayvon Mullen with plus size. 

Combine that with his incredible speed and explosiveness, and Woolen could be a nightmare to go up against. 

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