7 cornerbacks the Vikings could select in the 2022 NFL Draft

Tariq Woolen (UTSA)

Measurements:

• Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 205 pounds

2021 Stats:

• 25 tackles
• 1 interception
• 5 passes defended

The Vikings could wait for a cornerback on Day 2 of the draft and use their first selection on the best player available, regardless of position. If that is the case, Tariq Woolen is a promising option a little bit later.

Woolen spent three seasons at UTSA as a wide receiver before switching to the defensive side of the ball for his final two years. While he is still learning a new position, he has a ton of size and length that will make the transition a bit easier.

He also has that wide receiver background that will give him the ball skills to survive as an NFL defender until he masters his craft, similar to Trevon Diggs. Woolen is an athletic freak with one of the most incredible spider charts you will see from a prospect. He ranks in the 99th percentile for height and in speed, running a 4.26-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4.

This is a project sort of pick in round two, but Tariq Woolen could become the steal of the draft if he learns to play the position at a high level. His physical and athletic profiles are something that you will hardly ever see from an NFL cornerback.

Woolen is not going to come right in and be an immediate star for the Vikings, but that is why retaining Patrick Peterson could pay off. It keeps them from forcing a cornerback in the first round and can use him to mentor Woolen, who has only played in the secondary for two seasons as a smaller college program.

If he can sit for a season while rotating in on occasion and being a special teams ace, Woolen could become a perimeter starter in his sophomore season. Would the Vikings take that chance in the second round when they think they can compete?