Nobody has come closer to dethroning Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC than Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Three times over the last four seasons they have met in the playoffs and Buffalo has gone 0-3, losing by an average of just four points.
The Bills may overtake the Chiefs as the team to beat in the conference with a lucky break here or there, but more likely they'll need to add just a little bit more talent to get past KC. With that in mind, a new set of bold predictions from Pro Football Network has Buffalo adding a Pro Bowl talent during the 2025 NFL draft at the expense of the Seattle Seahawks, pulling off a draft day trade for Riq Woolen.
"...Buffalo could opt for a more aggressive and creative solution to maximize its Super Bowl window. Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen has had a terrific start to his career, allowing a 68.8 passer rating in coverage. That's second-best among 35 cornerbacks to defend 200+ targets since 2022..."
Woolen's coverage numbers are undeniably impressive, but it's also an incomplete picture of his game. His physical attributes make him a 99th percentile athlete at his position - however, Woolen seemingly loses focus on occasion - and ends up allowing explosive gains when he does. For every big play Woolen makes (he has 11 interceptions) he might also allow a touchdown (he's given up 12).
Moreover, Woolen has been benched by two consecutive Seahawks head coaches - getting dinged by Pete Carroll for a reluctance to tackle in 2023 and again by Mike Macdonald for violating team rules late last season.
Overall, it's a frustrating dynamic from a player who has all he physical tools he needs to be the best cornerback on the planet. We'd prefer to keep Woolen if it's purely a football decision and see if he can grow into something like an elite cover corner down the line.
However, before we learn the answer to that question Woolen is due a new contract, as he's heading into the final year of his rookie deal. Flawed though his game might be, Woolen's ball skills and athleticism are likely to command a pretty powerful deal if he were to hit the open market.
That means Woolen could end up on the trade block at some point this year - possibly even as soon as the draft. If the Seahawks can get a third-round pick in return from a corner-needy team like the Bills a deal is worth exploring. However, there's a potential hiccup there because Buffalo doesn't have one. They'll be on the clock at the end of the second (number 64 overall) and then won't be up again until the fourth round (109 overall). Buffalo probably won't part with the 64th pick and 109 seems just a bit low for a talent like Woolen's.
Perhaps the best path forward would be a wait-and-see approach. The Seahawks can see how Woolen performs in the first half of the 2025 season and re-evaluate then. If Woolen has a breakthrough and the Seahawks are in position to make a playoff run it's worth keeping him around - if not then they should explore what they can get ahead of the trade deadline.
