NFL teams meeting with individual players are a significant part of the draft process. These meetings can happen at the NFL Scouting Combine, pro days, the Senior Bowl, the East-West Shrine Bowl or a private workout.
For fans following the process, these meetings are sort of like poker tells for the draft, as they indicate what positions a team could be focusing on. Do teams draft players they haven’t met with? Yes, they do. It happens all the time, but they have often spoken to other players at that position.
Who have the Baltimore Ravens met with so far? Well, a good list to check is usually at WalterFootball.com, but with the state of the world as it is, it has become a tad tougher to find those tea leaves.
So far, teams have had access to players at the various bowl showcases (like the Senior or East-West Shrine Bowls), the Combine and upcoming pro days. Therefore, I am going to profile players you should know and who the Ravens could select in the 2022 draft. Today is UTSA cornerback Tariq Woolen. Let’s get to know him better.
Tale of the Tape
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 205 pounds
Strengths: Size, speed, length, athleticism — Woolen has it all. He is a very willing tackler and plays with some physicality; better in zone then man-to-man; scored a 10 RAS (Relative Athletic Score) at the NFL Scouting Combine; 40-yard dash of 4.26 seconds.
Areas For Improvement: He has only played cornerback for two years, so there are some technique issues that pop up; can be somewhat of a risk-taker at times; struggles with press coverage.
Other Notes: Converted wide receiver (three years as a receiver at UTSA before moving to corner); named 2021 All-Conference USA honorable mention.
NFL Player Comparison: No one … if he cleans up his technique as he continues to learn the position. He may be a unicorn, one of one, a faster Richard Sherman should he continue to develop?
Draft Projection: This is a raw and rare prospect for a cornerback. This is a tough one. Because of his traits, I can see him going in the second round, as he is a rare athlete for the cornerback position. Late second or early third round.
Photo Credit: Jeff Huehn/UTSA Athletics