Seahawks' Best Offseason Moves: Where Does Drafting Devon Witherspoon Rank?
The Seattle Seahawks have enjoyed a fruitful offseason. The franchise signed a couple of notable free agents in Dre'Mont Jones and Bobby Wagner while drafting young talent as they look to build on the playoff appearance from last season.
But of all the offseason moves that Seattle's front office has made, which has been deemed the "best"? There are plenty to choose from, but CBS Sports has listed drafting cornerback Devon Witherspoon with the No. 5 pick in April's draft as Seattle's best piece of business.
"Seattle had a really good offseason that can vault the Seahawks into a surprise Super Bowl contender in the NFC, but the selection of Witherspoon was paramount for a young secondary that needed a playmaker opposite Tariq Woolen," CBS Sports writes. "Having Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs at safety with Coby Bryant in the slot, the Seahawks have a good secondary. Witherspoon completes a defense that should be good in 2023."
It is easy to see why Witherspoon is so highly rated, as he grabbed five interceptions and 11.5 tackles for loss during his time with Illinois. He joins a defense that struggled last season, though the Seahawks made the playoffs despite this.
CBS Sports also brought up his production with the Fighting Illini as a reason for optimism ahead of his rookie year.
"Witherspoon allowed the fewest yards per attempt (3.0) as the primary defender in coverage last season, making the Seahawks' secondary one of the best young units in the NFL. Pairing Tariq Woolen with an elite cover corner should do wonders for both players as they are arguably the best young cornerback duo in the game.
Seattle allowed an average of 23.6 points per game, which ranked 25th in the NFL. There is no doubt some scope for improvement, and with Witherspoon and Woolen as a dynamic, ball-hawking duo coupled with the returning Jamal Adams, the secondary looks primed for a better season.
While this is based purely on Witherspoon's college production, there is little worry that he won't be able to translate that into the NFL as his efforts during OTA's and minicamp have shown that.
With the offense looking to be a better version of themselves, the Seahawks could again surprise some teams next season.
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