PHILADELPHIA - Nick Graham still remembers the first time he studied Riq Woolen’s early cornerback tape at UTSA, and the reaction came fast.
After being hired as the Roadrunners’ cornerbacks coach in 2020, Graham was pointed to film from Woolen’s first few practices at the position in 2019. At the time, Woolen was still listed as a wide receiver. He had only spent one week at cornerback, but Graham says the talent jumped off the screen immediately.
Woolen’s frame, speed and loose movement were enough to sell Graham right away. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound defender had barely begun the position switch, yet Graham saw something special and pushed him to make the move permanent.
“I go watch this tape and go, ‘Whoa, God, I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but thank you,’” Graham told NJ.com last week.
That same belief is why Graham is so convinced the Eagles came away with a major win when they signed Woolen to a one-year, $12 million deal on March 10. Graham thinks Philadelphia got a bargain, and he doesn’t sound remotely shy about saying so.
“I think the Eagles got a steal, and I think they know it. I know they know it,” Graham said.
Woolen’s path to this point has already included plenty of highs and a few hard lessons. Drafted by the Seahawks in the fifth round, he broke through as one of the league’s best rookies in 2022 and has spent the last four seasons showing off the kind of talent that can tilt a game. But consistency has been the issue, and it’s what has kept him from fully cashing in.
Graham believes that’s exactly why the Eagles are getting him at the right time.
“He’s not a finished product, but I believe he has gold jacket ability,” Graham said.
For Graham, this signing hits differently because his own NFL start came in Philadelphia. He spent his rookie season with the Eagles in 2007 as a backup cornerback and special-teams contributor, so he understands the environment Woolen is walking into.
When he heard the news, Graham didn’t exactly keep it polished.
“I texted Riq, ‘I know you’re (expletive) lying,’” Graham said about his reaction to the Eagles signing Woolen. “That was the first thing I said to him.
He was like, ‘Coach Graham, can you believe it? Can you believe I’m playing where you used to play?’
I was just excited for him because I know the type of organization [the Eagles are]. I know the defense that is there.
Man, I’m just excited for the kid. I really am.”
Graham’s confidence in Woolen hasn’t faded. In his view, the Eagles added one of the league’s most gifted defensive backs to a secondary already among the NFL’s best, and the fresh start could matter as much as the talent.
Seattle benched Woolen multiple times over the last three years, and last season he logged 817 defensive snaps, the fewest of his career. Graham doesn’t think the back-and-forth helped.
“Going in and out like he was doing last year, nobody wants to do that,” Graham said about Woolen rotating with Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe last year. “I don’t think he’s that type of player that needs to be doing that.
And so, he’s always confident, but I just think it’s the love you receive. We’re all humans.
We want to be somewhere where we know that people care about us.”
Woolen, now 27, has already shown why the upside is so loud. According to Next Gen Stats, he allowed just 0.5 yards per coverage snap in man coverage, the lowest mark among outside cornerbacks. He also allowed a 31.3% completion rate in man coverage, the lowest among cornerbacks.
That production, combined with the lack of long-term offers in free agency, left Graham shaking his head.
“I guarantee you it pissed him off,” Graham said about Woolen not landing a big deal. “To me, he’s a $20 million a year guy talent-wise.”
Woolen said the market only added fuel. He also said the move to Philadelphia gives him the kind of opportunity he wants.
“My whole thing is just getting everything down, being a great teammate, showing these guys that they can ride with me and be consistent,” Woolen said. “Whenever the season comes, every week, I’ll get my chance to prove to everybody else what they missed out on.”
He also knows the road here has never been smooth. Woolen dealt with a shoulder injury in 2023, got benched for a Week 15 game against the Eagles that season, and was again benched in 2024 for the opening drive against the Minnesota Vikings after violating undisclosed team rules. Last season, he was flagged for taunting in the NFC Championship Game, and the next play turned into a 34-yard Puka Nacua touchdown that cut the Rams’ deficit to four points at 31-27.
Still, Woolen says those moments are part of the climb.
“Whenever you’re making progress, it’s like a roller coaster,” Woolen said. “It’s loops in all different ways, but you still gotta ascend. As long as you are still ascending, then you’re doing the right things.”
The Eagles appear ready to give him the runway he’s been looking for. Woolen said the chance to step into a defined role means a lot, and he’ll line up this season across from All-Pro Quinyon Mitchell.
“To be here and to know that I have a role and I have a role that plays a big part in this team, it’s a blessing for real,” Woolen said. “Because that’s something that I want, and that’s something that I will excel at.”
Graham believes the fit makes sense on the field, too. Woolen is at his best in man coverage, and Philadelphia used it more often than Seattle did last year. The Eagles played man on 24.5% of their snaps, while the Seahawks did so on 15.2%, according to Sharp Football Analysis.
Graham expects Woolen to be tested early and often, but he also expects him to handle it.
And if Woolen does break through the way Graham thinks he can, his former coach says nobody will deserve it more.
“He’s the nicest kid ever, man,” Graham said. “He loves his family, Got a great mama, great brother and sister.
He just takes care of everybody. And he’s the same person every day.
There ain’t a vindictive bone in his body. He’s a good kid.
He’s always a pleasure to be around. Every time we talk, it’s ‘I love you.’
I mean it, and I know that he means it. And so me and that kid will always have a special bond.”
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