National Football League

NFC West Stock Watch: Tariq Woolen an ‘Avatar’; Jeff Wilson pacing 49ers' rushing attack

Updated Oct. 12, 2022 4:42 p.m. ET

By Eric D. Williams
FOX Sports NFC West Writer

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll appears to have finally found a suitable successor to Richard Sherman during Seattle's Legion of Boom days.

Tariq Woolen, at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, was the talk of training camp in the Pacific Northwest because of his length, speed and sticky coverage.

And Woolen's play has been a revelation during the regular season. Through five games, he has 17 total tackles, three interceptions, four pass breakups, a fumble recovery and a blocked punt.

That's filling up the stat sheet for a rookie still learning his way in the NFL.

Woolen's teammate, safety Ryan Neal, aptly described the rangy defensive back when asked about him last week.

"It's like watching a Rottweiler pup running around the house and he's just bumping into s--- cause he don't know how big he is," Neal said. "He just doesn't even understand that you are so damn special, and you don't even know it."

Sherman recently suggested that the Seahawks should scuttle their flirtation with the 3-4 defensive scheme and go back to playing the way they did when the defense was dominant during Carroll's early days with the franchise.

The Seahawks have one of the worst defenses in the league this year, giving up 30 points per game and allowing an NFL-high 170 rushing yards a contest. Carroll seemed to at least acknowledge the need to rekindle some of that old fire by bringing back 34-year-old edge rusher Bruce Irvin to Seattle's practice squad.

The main bright spot on the new defense is that Carroll appears to have found a keeper in Woolen. He tops our weekly look at who's rising and falling in the NFC West.

RISING

Seahawks CB Tariq Woolen: Selected in the fifth round of this year's draft out of UTSA, Woolen is built more like former Seattle corner Brandon Browner than Sherman. The former receiver possesses elite speed for his size. He ran a 4.26 40 and posted a 42-inch vertical jump at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Nicknamed "Avatar" by defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt because of his otherworldly abilities, Woolen showed off his athleticism trying to chase down New Orleans Saints utility man Taysom Hill on his 60-yard touchdown run on Sunday. According to Next Gen Stats, Woolen's speed of 22.93 mph was the fastest by any player since Raheem Mostert ran 23.09 mph in Week 2 of the 2020 season.

Niners RB Jeff Wilson Jr.: With Elijah Mitchell out for an extended period due to a knee injury and rookie Ty Davis-Price also on the mend (sprained ankle), Wilson has shouldered the running load for the 49ers. He totaled 120 rushing yards and a touchdown in San Francisco's road win over the Panthers last weekend.

Wilson is No. 8 in the NFL with 375 rushing yards through five games and has averaged 103 scrimmage yards a contest in four games since Mitchell suffered the knee injury. The Niners also got solid production from Tevin Coleman (67 scrimmages yards, two scores vs. the Panthers) in his return to the team.

Coach Kyle Shanahan wants to run the football, creating balance on offense and taking the pressure off quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Wilson has four runs of 20-plus yards this season; his ability to create chunk plays in the running game and make plays as a pass-catcher should serve the Niners well until Mitchell returns.

49ers LB Dre Greenlaw: The fourth-year pro out of Arkansas leads the NFL's top-ranked defense with 49 combined tackles (including three tackles for loss). Greenlaw has had three straight games with double-digit tackles.

The Niners recently signed Greenlaw to a two-year, 16.4 million contract extension, keeping him with the team through the 2024 season. San Francisco leads the league in sacks (21), total yards allowed per game (249.2), rushing yards allowed per game (71.4), yards allowed per play (4.01) and points allowed per game (12.2)

FALLING

Rams OT Joe Noteboom: As I wrote earlier this week, the Rams are trying to fortify their makeshift offensive line. While Noteboom has played in every game this season, he has allowed a league-high five sacks and 23 total pressures on 231 pass block snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

Noteboom has appeared to play better of late. But as the replacement for retired Pro Bowl left tackle Andrew Whitworth, Noteboom needs to continue that trend so L.A. can get back on track offensively.

Seahawks P Michael Dickson: The Australian native rolled out to punt against the Saints last week, but for some reason decided to run the ball, leading to a tackle behind the line of scrimmage and New Orleans taking over on downs.

Carroll said the play was not a called fake punt, and Dickson was supposed to kick the ball. The Saints scored a touchdown on the following possession in a game Seattle lost 39-32. An All-Pro in 2018, Dickson must make better decisions in these situations.

Seahawks WR DK Metcalf: The big-play receiver has decent numbers on the year, with 28 receptions for 372 yards and two scores. However, Metcalf made two critical mistakes that contributed to Seattle losing on the road to New Orleans.

He had a costly fumble in the second half that led to a touchdown for the Saints. Metcalf also dropped a potential touchdown pass in the red zone, and the Seahawks had to settle for a 31-yard field goal. He finished with five receptions for 88 yards and a score.

According to Pro Football Focus, Metcalf has just two drops on the year on 43 targets. But because the margin of error is so slim for Seattle to win games this season, the Seahawks need Metcalf to play consistent football on every snap.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.