Eagles Unicorn Could Stick Around Longer Than One Year

PHILADELPHIA – There are no such things as unicorns, of course, but Riq Woolen may be as close to one as it gets. Cornerbacks just don't have the blend of size, speed, and athleticism that Woolen possesses.

"He's a rare guy in that you don't see many corners in the league that are 6-4," said defensive coordinator Vic Fangio when the Eagles made all three coordinators available to reporters on Thursday afternoon. "You don't see many that are 6-2 or even 6-1 and there's a reason for that.

"It's hard to find guys at those heights that can move and mirror receivers that are hard to cover. He can do that for a guy his height. He can get in and out of breaks. He obviously has good downfield speed, and his length is more of an asset than a detriment in his case. I'm excited to have him."

There was a time when Fangio thought maybe the Eagles would get Woolen from the Seahawks in a trade last year. It didn't happen.

"We looked at him during the middle of the season last year a little bit, because they may have been interested in trading him, and we didn't decide to do it, and I didn't get too involved in the evaluation," said the DC. "But then, when it came to free agency time this year, and I actually sat down and watched him thoroughly, I was excited for him and kind of surprised that he was one of those guys that didn't get a lot of action for a long-term deal. I was thrilled to get him. I think he's going to play (well) for us."

Could Woolen Be The Next Baun?

Here's the thing about Woolen – if he can find his rookie season magic, he could become the next Zack Baun. The Eagles have signed more than a dozen players to one-year deals over the past couple of offseasons, but only Baun was able to turn that into a long-term deal. He was too good for them to let him out the door, so they inked the linebacker to a three-year, $51 contract.

Woolen, who turned 27 on May 2, was a force as a rookie in 2022, muscling his way onto the scene as a fifth-round draft pick out of Texas-San Antonio and collecting six interceptions to finish third in the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting behind winner Sauce Gardner and runner-up Aidan Hutchinson. Hutchinson was the second overall pick that year; Gardner the fourth. Woolen was taken 153 overall.

The Eagles' depth chart at cornerback isn't exactly overflowing with long-term options after Quinyon Mithcell, so there is opportunity for him to play his way into a contract that will keep in Philly for longer than just the 2026 season.

"He's been here since we started the offseason," said Fangio. "Seems to be a great guy. He's into being here and really looking forward to working with him."

This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/eagles/onsi as Eagles Unicorn Could Stick Around Longer Than One Year.

Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 5:00 AM.