“The Freak” On The Day 2 Board
April 17th, 2022
Cornerback Tariq Woolen
It’s hard for Joe to imagine the Bucs having a second consecutive draft of developmental-type players.
Yeah, Tampa Bay went there last year with raw edge rusher Joe Tryon Shoyinka, who sat out the 2020 college season, and then a quarterback in Round 2, Kyle Trask. After that it was Robert Hainsey, a college tackle transitioning to center. Then came Jaelon Darden out of North Texas, who needs more seasoning than a basket of kale.
Joe understands how the Bucs approached that draft. They weren’t looking for plug-and-play dudes after returning every starter and nearly every key backup from a Super Bowl team.
This year, however, is a different story.
Joe saw a couple of mock drafts yesterday that had freakishly long and athletic cornerback Tariq Woolen out of The University of Texas-San Antonio going late in the second round, just after the Bucs’ selection at No. 60 overall.
Woolen is 6-4, 205 pounds and blew the doors off the NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.26-second time in the 40 yard dash and a 42-inch vertical leap. Just about everyone is calling the guy a true athletic freak. The receiver-turned-corner is relatively new on defense but he showed up well at the Senior Bowl defending big-school receivers.
Joe understands why any team, including the Bucs, would be intrigued by a truly elite athlete like Woolen. And Joe suspects Todd Bowles and his staff believe they could coach him up successfully. But Woolen is a multi-year project.
So would the Bucs go there with Woolen in Round 2? Joe’s not sure, but the Bucs are lacking speed and there’s no shortage of confidence in the starting lineup.
April 17th, 2022 at 10:01 am
Hard pass for me. Workout warrior alert!
April 17th, 2022 at 10:12 am
Zyon McCollum would be a solid consolation prize
April 17th, 2022 at 10:27 am
Zyon McCollum has a perfect relative athletic score (RAS). No other cornerback this draft has one. If that means anything? This year’s draft is considered weak so we definitely need to get a contributor in the first round because we may not find one in the second round. Most drafts I’d like to see both first and second rounds be major contributors. Though I’m good with a cornerback being taken early.
April 17th, 2022 at 10:29 am
Yes, we lack Speed, and this guy would be a great addition to our team, except for one thing.
We don’t need any more projects, we need players that can contribute right now, since we are all in this year.
Brady will most likely not be back next year, so we are in a win now mode.
April 17th, 2022 at 10:37 am
I don’t know why I am triggering the duplicate content filter, but I will try again. Yes, we lack Speed, and this guy would be a great addition to our team, except for one thing.
We don’t need any more projects, we need players that can contribute right now, since we are all in this year.
Brady will most likely not be back next year, so we are in a win now mode.
April 17th, 2022 at 12:04 pm
Hopefully last years draft picks so something this year. Tyron ok Trask who knows Hainsey ? Jaelon D. Who? and the other 2?
April 17th, 2022 at 12:48 pm
I would love to trade back for an extra 2nd and 3rd round player if Wyatt isn’t there. Licht has shown he can find very good OL talent in the 2nd or 3rd round. I believe Jones UCON and Hall UH will be available early in the second round along with a number of CBs I expect to fall. There will be a run of TEs in the 3rd so an early pick here through a first round trade would be great. Then you can get your offensive lineman. Finally a 4th rd RB Cook (UGA) or White (ASU) would be a great top off.
Everyone should happy with no roo to complain if the Bucs come away with very good/solid DT, CB, TE, G and RB prospects in the first 4 rounds. Then the Bucs could look at a LB and P in the 7th. I know some people want another WR, but we have so many WRs I don’t see it unless we trade 1 or 2 of ours (Miller, Dardon or Johnson) for picks.
April 17th, 2022 at 12:52 pm
Yeah, um, no. Don’t need another overhyped athlete. We need football players.
April 17th, 2022 at 12:53 pm
“more seasoning than a basket of kale.” hahahaha..Well played Joe – that is some bland @$$ stuff!
April 17th, 2022 at 1:03 pm
I think the Bucs would go there but only if they traded down in round 1 and got more picks–we are not wasting our only round 2 pik on a project. maybe lotsa teams feel the same way and the kid drops to bottom of the 3rd then it is a worthy pik
April 17th, 2022 at 1:06 pm
Yeah I’m not with Goatfarmer on this one. 6’4″, 205, 4.26 40 AND a 42 inch vert!?!?!?!?!?!
THAT cannot be taught!!!
Yes Please!
April 17th, 2022 at 1:42 pm
You rarely see that combination of size and speed come available at CB.
Definitely worthy of close investigation at the very least if he’s expected to be available at #60.
If there’s one thing Todd Bowles is assuredly good at – its coaching up DBs!
April 17th, 2022 at 1:54 pm
I know SB. It’s just fatigue from reading that everyone in the top 100 projected draft picks is coming to the Bucs. I also want football players, obviously so does everyone — if JL and Todd like this guy I’m all for it.
April 17th, 2022 at 1:54 pm
we lack speed?
Devin White and LVD lol
April 17th, 2022 at 2:38 pm
@Goatfarmer.
I am just pleased that for the last couple of yrs I have not had to do exhaustive research on the Top Ten Draft options! 🙂
April 17th, 2022 at 2:51 pm
SB – LOL!!!
Or worse, knowing that whoever we pick is going to suck!
April 17th, 2022 at 3:15 pm
It’s a dangerous trap getting excited over a guy like this because of his measurable’s. The NFL graveyard is full of guys who had elite speed but no skills to go with it. He definitely doesn’t have second round talent. I would not take him in the first four rounds. He could not crack the 53 man roster. We need our top 4 picks on the 53 man roster. Since we don’t have a 5th or 6th round pick maybe we take him with one of our 7th rounders and see if he makes it onto the practice squad.
April 17th, 2022 at 3:19 pm
I wouldnt mind him if we miss on alontae taylor.
April 17th, 2022 at 3:39 pm
The only thing wrong with drafting “developmental players “ is concluding that they were not good picks while in their development phase !
2022 will be the first year those picks should be graded.
The roster was mature if not stacked going into 2021 .
Getting a future starting at any pick is OKAY with me.
Anytime you can draft a player at any position and they can contribute in their first year consider it a blessing from the fickle NFL voodoo science of picking college players and projecting their futures in the pros.
April 17th, 2022 at 4:07 pm
I do not want them to draft a project. They need guys to help now and next year from the first 3 rounds
April 17th, 2022 at 4:07 pm
Can’t teach size n speed. We have our starters in CD dean and SMB. Logan plays in the slot so he does t need to be a starter right away and maybe because of his athletic ability it pushes our starters or he beats them out or he’s depth. Just off his athletic ability you gotta go get him then develop him.we have the perfect staff to do so
April 17th, 2022 at 4:13 pm
Louie Tee, draft analyst: “Woolen is stiff, McCollum is a fluid athlete”.
April 17th, 2022 at 4:55 pm
Can he return kicks?..
April 17th, 2022 at 6:18 pm
TBChucky: No, but Christian “Tampa Tornado” Watson can! I wonder if Tom Brady looks into the draft’s WRs.
April 17th, 2022 at 7:03 pm
Congrats Joe. Looks like you’re getting quite a few to bite on your ‘Draft a CB in the Top Rounds’ proposition. They may not like the guy YOU like, but going CB in the Top Rounds seems to be on the table.
I was all for that too early-on, but my preferences evolved over time. A big factor in that is LVD; he’s still hurting, and I don’t have the confidence in him any longer to play a full season. We haven’t re-signed his backup (Kevin Minter) and I have little faith in 5th-Rnd selection Britt or 7th-Rnd selection Stuard to be able to competently replace LVD.
And you’re the one always screaming that ‘you can never have enough pass rush’. Well, given that we’re missing Suh, JPP & McLendon from last year’s front-end (and all of them are getting older than dirt anyways), PERHAPS it’d be a good idea to draft at least a DT and a DE/OLB in the Top-3 Rnds? And MAYBE use one of our Top-3 Rnd picks on an ILB to replace Minter (and MAYBE eventually LVD?).
Throw in a solid blocking TE with our Rnd-4 pick and I’ll feel a lot better about where our defense is heading. Because right now, it’s got more holes than a piece of Swiss cheese.
April 17th, 2022 at 10:24 pm
This article reminds me of Oj Howard.
April 17th, 2022 at 10:26 pm
Joe in Michigan , I agree, if it ‘s size , strength , speed , and versatility You want Christian Watson is the man, he has the size , strength and blocking ability to play tight end , he has the speed , quickness , and hands, to play in the slot or wideout , he runs well on end arounds, and he returns kickoffs! I think he would be a great pick.
April 18th, 2022 at 12:34 am
Richard Sherman switched from WR in college to CB in the NFL and made a quick adjustment to be one of the best.
Is this guy’s tape any good? If he shows he has instincts for the position and obvious athletic freakishness, it might not be such a difficult transition. But is he willing to tackle and get his hands dirty in the running game?
April 18th, 2022 at 10:32 am
“78” BUCS FAN 4 LIFE ITS ALL GOOD
April 18th, 2022 at 10:36 am
Oops