Raiders Eye Seahawks Cornerback Riq Woolen as Potential Trade Target
The Las Vegas Raiders’ 2025 NFL season has begun with disappointment, sitting at a concerning 1-3 record under first-year head coach Pete Carroll. Despite showing competitive spirit in their games, the team clearly has several areas requiring immediate improvement if they hope to turn their season around. Among these weaknesses, the cornerback position stands out as particularly problematic. To become legitimate contenders in the highly competitive AFC, the Raiders will need to make significant upgrades at this position—and a potential trade opportunity might present itself before the upcoming deadline.
Tim Weaver of Seattle Seahawks on SI has recently connected the dots between the Raiders and Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen as a potential trade match. This speculation follows NFL insider Ian Rapoport’s report that several teams around the league are monitoring Woolen’s availability as a possible trade candidate. The connection makes perfect sense: Carroll, now leading the Raiders, was the coach who originally selected Woolen in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft during his Seattle tenure. “The most obvious destination would be Vegas, where former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll now resides,” Weaver noted in his analysis. “Carroll is the one who picked Woolen in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft, which seemed like an all-time steal at the end of his rookie season. While Woolen has dropped off since, the Raiders are pretty weak at cornerback and need all the help they can get in a brutal AFC West race.”
Acquiring Woolen would represent a significant upgrade for the Raiders’ defensive backfield. His arrival would immediately fill the team’s need for a true number one cornerback and inject much-needed playmaking ability into their secondary. The young defender’s NFL resume is already impressive—through his first 52 career games, Woolen has accumulated 176 total tackles, one forced fumble, four fumble recoveries, 11 interceptions (including a defensive touchdown), and 42 defended passes. These statistics demonstrate why Las Vegas should be seriously interested in pursuing him if he becomes available.
What makes Woolen particularly appealing as a trade target is not just his current production but his long-term potential. At only 26 years old, he represents both an immediate improvement and a possible cornerstone for the Raiders’ defense for years to come. This combination of youth and proven performance is rare among available defensive backs, making him an especially valuable acquisition candidate for a team like Las Vegas that needs both immediate help and building blocks for the future.
The familiarity between Woolen and Carroll adds another compelling layer to this potential trade scenario. Carroll clearly saw something special in Woolen when he drafted him in Seattle, and that connection could prove valuable in helping the cornerback transition smoothly to a new team. Carroll’s defensive expertise and previous success developing Woolen might create the perfect environment for the cornerback to recapture the form that made him look like “an all-time steal” during his rookie season, even if his performance has somewhat declined since then.
While it remains uncertain whether Seattle will actually consider trading Woolen, the Raiders would be wise to position themselves at the front of the line if he does become available. For a team struggling in the competitive AFC West, adding a talented young cornerback with Woolen’s skill set could be exactly the type of move needed to strengthen their defense and improve their standing in the division. As the trade deadline approaches, Raiders fans should keep a close eye on developments surrounding Woolen’s situation in Seattle—this could be exactly the mid-season acquisition the team needs to change their fortunes in 2025 and beyond.
