Seahawks Praised for Drafting Devon Witherspoon: 'Best CB in the Draft!' Says NFL Exec
The 2023 NFL Draft was big for the Seattle Seahawks as they held two first-round picks, No. 5 and No. 20 overall. Despite the many mock drafts having them taking Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter with their first pick, they went with Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
With the initial shock of the selection out of the way, The Athletic revealed thoughts of folks around the league on the Seahawks' adding Witherspoon in a recent article where they collected anonymous quotes on draft classes from all 32 teams.
“I think [Witherspoon] was the best corner in the draft,” one executive told The Athletic. “They did a really good job of not overthinking it and getting a corner that can help them. Witherspoon is extremely intelligent the way he plays the game. He is quite possibly the toughest and most physical corner in the last little bit. The skill set doesn’t jump off the screen like it did with Sauce Gardner and some of those guys, but the football IQ was special.”
Witherspoon will join a Seahawks' secondary that already includes top cornerback Tariq Woolen and one of the best safety pairings in Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams. Yet, as The Athletic wrote, they decided to pass on Carter while having a bigger need along the defensive line than at cornerback.
But questions surrounding Carter's off-the-field character saw him fall down the draft board to the No. 9 pick, where the Philadelphia Eagles ended his slide. Yet, what about Witherspoon makes him a fit for the Seahawks?
“Witherspoon strikes me as a Pete Carroll type — tough, dependable, super competitive,” another executive said. “He is what Pete wants all the guys to be. Had they overthought it, they would have taken Jalen Carter, and the risk would have skyrocketed.”
Witherspoon isn't just a "physical" corner, as he also possesses the ball skills to help turn defense into offense. He recorded three interceptions with 14 passes defended in his last collegiate season to go along with his 41 total tackles in 12 games.
After a surprise appearance in the playoffs following an offseason where they traded away long-time franchise quarterback Russell Wilson and seemed to jump-start a rebuild, another strong draft class could further springboard the Seahawks to closing in on the San Francisco 49ers for control of the NFC West.
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