Getty Head coach Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks saw one of their top rookies snubbed in NFL All-Pro voting.
It’s hard imagining Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen having a better rookie season. He recorded 6 interceptions, which was tied for the league league, with 16 pass defenses, 63 combined tackles, including 1 tackle for loss and 3 fumble recoveries.
But it wasn’t enough for Woolen to make one of the NFL All-Pro teams.
The NFL announced 2022 AP All-Pro teams without Woolen on either team. In fact, while Woolen, Quandre Diggs, Ryan Neal and Jordyn Brooks received votes, no member of the Seattle roster made first or second-team All Pro.
The Seahawks were only one of two playoff teams without a player on the NFL AP All-Pro teams.
Seattle and Jacksonville were the only two playoff teams that didn’t have an All-Pro selection.
This was also the first time the Seahawks didn’t have a player make first or second team All-Pro since 2009.
Woolen Snubbed for All-Pro at Cornerback
The Seahawks fifth-round pick last spring received a Pro Bowl nomination, which made him extremely pleased in December. But the more prestigious honor would have been to earn a spot on the All-Pro team.
Despite receiving votes, Woolen fell short of that honor. Instead, New York Jets rookie Sauce Gardner and Denver Broncos’ Patrick Surtain II made first-team All Pro at cornerback.
Green Bay Packers’ Jaire Alexander and Philadelphia Eagles’ James Bradberry received the honor of second-team All Pro rather than Woolen.
Gardner led the NFL with 20 pass defenses. He also had 3 tackles for loss and 2 interceptions. Surtain had 2 interceptions as well with 10 pass defenses and 2 tackles for loss.
Bradberry posted 3 interceptions with 17 pass defenses while Alexander had 5 interceptions with 14 pass defenses. Like Woolen, Gardner, Surtain and Alexander were Pro Bowl selections.
As great as Woolen played in 2022, it’s difficult to say he clearly belonged ahead of one of the four cornerbacks who made AP All Pro. According to Pro Football Focus, Gardner and Surtain were the top two cornerbacks in the league this season.
Based on the PFF player grades, Alexander and Bradberry were ranked seventh and 14th, respectively, at cornerback overall in 2022. Woolen came in on the list at No. 24.
But with Woolen tying an 11-year-old Seahawks’ rookie record with 6 interceptions this season, it’s fair for the Seattle fan base to consider Woolen an All-Pro snub.
Woolen finished seventh with 13 votes to be on the All-Pro team. In addition to the four that made the team, cornerbacks Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey also received more votes than Woolen.
Woolen Still in Contention for Defensive Rookie of the Year
While it’s disappointing Woolen did not make the All-Pro team, the Seahawks cornerback is still in contention for the biggest award he could win this season — Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Of course, based on the All-Pro voting at cornerback, Gardner appears to have the inside track over Woolen for that honor. But at the very least, Woolen should receive some votes for the award.
A Seahawks player has never won Defensive Rookie of the Year. The last time a Seahawks defender even received a vote for the honor was Bobby Wagner, who finished second to Luke Kuechly in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2012.
None of the legendary Seahawks defensive backs from the ‘Legion of Boom’ defense — Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor — earned a single vote for Defensive Rookie of the Year.