Who Bump thinks will be a Seahawks Pro Bowler in 2024

Sep 2, 2024, 9:18 AM

Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen of the Seattle Seahawks celebrate a turnover in 2023. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

The Seattle Seahawks’ first season under new head coach Mike Macdonald is now just a week away, and one thing we’ll be keeping our eyes on is which players could see improved production in this new era for the Hawks.

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Former Seahawks wide receiver Michael Bumpus has his choice, and it’s somebody who has played at a Pro Bowl level before. Bumpus shared on Friday’s edition of Bump and Stacy that he thinks third-year cornerback Riq Woolen is a “sleeper” Pro Bowl candidate after going through a bit of a sophomore slump in 2023.

“I’ve been praising him all year. He’s having his bounceback year,” said Bumpus, who is now a host/analyst on the Seahawks Radio Network and color commentator for college football on The CW. “Riq Woolen is back. He’s back. He is going to be a lockdown corner. He’s going to have four to five interceptions. He’s going to be a better tackler out there. He is going to make the wild plays that we saw his rookie season. He’s going to return a pick for a touchdown. I really believe in him.”

Woolen was a surprise as a rookie in 2022 for the Seahawks. Though he possesses a great frame for a cornerback (6 foot 4, 210 pounds), he didn’t spend his entire college career at the position, which at least partly explained why he was a fifth-round pick by Seattle in the NFL Draft. He was a star as a rookie, however, tying for the NFL lead with six interceptions on his way to a Pro Bowl appearance.

The 2023 campaign was a letdown in comparison, as he made just two interceptions and saw his numbers dip in tackles and passes defensed. His play against the run in particular was seen as an issue.

The stock for Woolen isn’t nearly as high now as it was heading into last season, but Bumpus is encouraged by what Woolen shown in the offseason program and training camp.

“I’ve been watching the way he moves this offseason, how he interacts with especially the media, his work ethic and all that stuff, and I think he’s primed for a great year,” Bumpus said. “I call it a ‘sleeper’ pick because I think people have fallen off – they’re not on the the Riq Woolen train anymore and they’re looking elsewhere. But I’m telling you, I believe this young man’s gonna have a bounceback year and be just fine.”

RIQ THE FREAK WITH THE PICK! pic.twitter.com/k9ynC5wNc9

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 19, 2023

Michael Bumpus answers four football questions at 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. during each edition of Bump and Stacy. Hear the segment in the podcast at this link or in the player near the top of this post, and catch the show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Seattle Sports.