LA Rams Draft: Impossible athleticism yields extraordinary results

With the 175th pick

…of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams have selected Tariq Woolen, cornerback, from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Who, you ask?

He is quite the physical specimen, standing 6-foot-4, weighing 205-pounds, and fast as lightning. But as is the case with incredibly athletic defensive backs found this late in the draft, he is incredibly raw and in need of patience and coaching. With the LA Rams so shallow at the cornerback position, can they afford to add a developmental player like Woolen?

Actually, the Rams are the ideal team to do so. He is so athletically gifted. Now, put him in training camp with Jalen Ramsey and Robert Rochell, and you’ve got the trifecta of lockdown defensive back potential for years to come.

While most NFL teams find their draft winding down at the 175th pick, the LA Rams are just getting started. And what a great step into the Draft class of 2022 if the LA Rams hand Woolen. He not only stands 6-foot-4 but he is blessed with 33.25-inch arms with a 78.375-inch wingspan. He has the wingspan of an albatross.

He converter from wide receiver to defensive back just two years ago, and you can bet that his intimate knowledge of what receivers want to do on any given play will give him a distinct advantage when it comes to pass coverages and defending passes thrown to his target. And talk about speed? He flashes the 40-yard dash in 4.26-seconds.

Some team with a dozen of picks or more to burn may grab Woolen before the LA Rams have the chance to do so. But if he is there at 175, I’m hopeful that the Rams will pull the trigger. Pairing him up with Robert Rochell has the potential to be one helluva secondary for the next 10 years.