Seattle Seahawks CB Riq Woolen Set For Big Rebound Year After Taking Struggles 'To Heart'

The Seahawks have two exciting young cornerbacks. For Riq Woolen, he hopes last season was an anomaly and that he returns to Pro Bowl form.

Nov 19, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) celebrates making an interception against the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

By now, the "sophomore slump" Riq Woolen endured during the 2023 season is well-documented. His missed tackle rate went up, his interceptions were cut by two-thirds, and his passer rating allowed took a big jump.

That was then, this is now.

One of the stories of Mike Macdonald's first training camp as Seahawks head coach has been the development and usage of the cornerbacks. Devon Witherspoon is one of the most exciting defensive backs in football. Opposite him is Woolen, who still is just 25 years old, one full season removed from a Pro Bowl rookie campaign of his own.

Witherspoon has been very complimentary of Woolen during camp, including speaking about his teammate after Thursday's joint practice in Tennessee.

"I think Riq (Woolen) has a point to prove," Witherspoon said. "A lot of people say he had a down year last year, and I think he took that to heart."

Riq Woolen had a strong 2 joint practices for the #Seahawks here in Nashville vs the Titans.

Ask fellow CB Devon Witherspoon, he says Woolen is on a mission this season. https://t.co/TDGvWVgAEk

— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 15, 2024

It seems like the motivation is there for Woolen to have an epic bounce-back season in 2024. It's never been about a lack of physical tools. In fact, you could argue Woolen has even more raw tools than Witherspoon. His combination of 4.26 speed, 6-4 frame, and 33 5/8-inch arms is as rare as a day without traffic in Seattle. Now, add in the extra motivation to make last year look like a blip on the radar.

Let's not forget what Woolen did as a rookie, with an NFL-high six interceptions and a miniscule 48.7 passer rating allowed. Under the tutelage of Macdonald, with Witherspoon to feed off of, it's not hard to imagine Woolen bouncing back in a big way.

The question might not even be, can Woolen bounce back? The question should be, how high will he bounce?

Given he became a Pro Bowler as a rookie, that bar has already been met. The UTSA product has all the tools, and now the experience, to put together an All-Pro type season. If he shores up his tackling and sharpens his focus in coverage, there is no reason why a player of his talent and skills can't become one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

Imagine the possibilities if the Seahawks have not one, but possibly two All-Pro candidates at cornerback. Quarterbacks and receivers, beware.