Seahawks Draft: The CB who could be this year’s Tariq Woolen
Feb 2, 2023, 1:14 PM | Updated: 1:15 pm
Julius Brents of Kansas State attempts to make an interception against TCU on Dec. 3, 2022. (Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
(Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
Last year, the Seahawks struck gold in the NFL Draft by taking toolsy cornerback Tariq Woolen in the fifth round. Woolen quickly rewarded Seattle for its selection by earning a starting spot, playing all 17 games and tying for the NFL lead with six interceptions while making the Pro Bowl.
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So who could be this draft’s version of Woolen?
According to former NFL quarterback and current FOX Sports college football analyst Brock Huard, one All-Big 12 defender comes to mind.
“His name is Julius Brents,” he said during Thursday’s Brock and Salk on Seattle Sports 710 AM. “… Julius Brents is a cornerback that some are looking at as a safety, but I think he is a corner. He is out of Kansas State and I saw him multiple times.”
Brents finished 2022 with four interceptions, giving him five total in his two years with the Wildcats. He also had an interception as a freshman in 2019 while at Iowa.
What a play @Jbrents_18 pic.twitter.com/dlMxlD48nI
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) November 19, 2022
It’s not hard to see why he could draw comparisons to Woolen, who is arguably already the Seahawks’ best defensive player.
“This guy will be Tariq Woolen at the combine. He’ll (measure at) 6 foot 4 with long arms,” Huard said. “He won’t run run as fast as Tariq but he will be probably in the low-4.4s (in the 40-yard dash), and he’ll (vertical) jump somewhere around 44 inches. Right now he’s a third-round grade. Right now he is an intriguing, intriguing guy.”
Huard said the Seahawks’ focus right now at the top of the draft needs to be on “big people” on the offensive and defensive lines, so it’s the later rounds why they may look at cornerbacks or wide receivers.
“Eventually as you get into the later rounds, you just want to find a freakish athlete – and by the way, he’s got a lot more ball skills and background at corner (than Woolen did coming out of college). He’s been a corner,” he said. ” … Right now, he’s a third-rounder. Right now, that’s kind of where people are projecting him. At the combine, he’ll probably bump up and Tariq Woolen’s year last year will probably help him … Keep an eye on Julias Brents at Kansas State.”
You can hear the full conversation from the Blue 88 segment in the podcast below.
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