In every draft class, there’s a player that makes a team second-guess their rules of engagement. For the Dallas Cowboys, that could come in the form of a Texas cat with lightning speed and dominating size. Texas-San Antonio cornerback Tariq Woolen tested out of the park. The question is whether or not Dallas would eschew their 10 commandments and select a small-school player who wasn’t an official 30 visitor?
His 4.26 40-yard dash was good for second-best among all defensive backs at the combine, and his vertical of 42 inches was the best out of all defensive backs. He entered UTSA as a wide receiver and made the transition to cornerback his redshirt junior year. We all know the Cowboys like former receiver backgrounds in their corners, a la Trevon Diggs.
Measurables and Stats
Listed Height: 6-foot-4
Listed Weight: 205 pounds
Jersey Number: 20
Tackles (2021): 17 solo tackles, 25 total tackles
Impact Plays (2021): 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 5 pass deflections
Film Study Information:
Games Watched: SFA (2020), BYU (2020), North Texas (2020), Illinois (2021)
Best Game: SFA (2020)
Worst Game: North Texas (2020)
Physical Skills Evaluation:
Long speed: Ran a 4.26 at the combine, long speed is no concern for Woolen. Has very good recovery speed.
Run Support: Able to come off the edge on blitzes and disrupt the play, capable of funneling ball carrier back inside. It isn’t his strongest attribute by any measure, but he is more than capable.
COD Ability: Has very good closing speed. Able to flip his hips and stay in phase. Drops hips and charges downfield suddenly. Has moments of him being too high in his strides.
Tackling: Deconstructs block well against tight ends and receivers, and is able to make the stop. Physical hitter. Only concerns is when a pulling offensive lineman got hands on him.
Physicality/Toughness: Fights through contact during the stem of the route well, can be grabby at times; but it hasn’t affected him yet.
Performance Evaluation:
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