All Seahawks

Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon earns high honor from NFL analyst

He’s made quite an impression in just two NFL seasons. According to one writer, two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Devon Witherspoon is the Seahawks’ top player.
Oct 20, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) runs off the field before a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Oct 20, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) runs off the field before a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

In this story:


Jacob Infante of Pro Football Sports Network recently compiled a list of each NFL team’s top performer. Veteran defensive tackle Leonard Williams led the Seattle Seahawks with 11.0 sacks this past season and wound up in the Pro Bowl. Second-year wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the 20th overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft, caught 11 passes for 1,130 yards and six scores. However, Infante gave the nod to Seattle’s other first-round selection two years ago.

“Through two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Devon Witherspoon has two Pro Bowls to his name. That’s a pretty strong start to one’s NFL career,” stated Infante.

“With 27 pass deflections through his first two years in the league, Witherspoon is a reliable shutdown cornerback who can blanket opposing teams’ top wide receivers. He’s proven to be everything Seattle wanted out of him as the No. 5 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and then some.”

Witherspoon doesn’t have gaudy interception numbers. In fact, he’s picked off just one pass in a total of 31 games. It was a memorable theft as he returned a Daniel Jones’ theft 97 yards for a score in a 24-3 Seahawks’ win over the New York Giants in Week 4 of 2023.

Pro Football Focus also thinks pretty highly of the former University of Illinois product. Witherspoon is the site’s No. 12 cornerback. It’s worth noting that only three players at his position own a higher grade when it comes to run defense.

Witherspoon also ranks high when it comes to pressuring opposing quarterbacks, with a combined four sacks in two seasons. A 17-game starter in 2024, Witherspoon finished second on his team with 98 tackles (66 solo), and third on the club with nine passes defensed.

More Seahawks on SI stories

Seahawks insider: Trey Hendrickson trade would make defense elite

Big and physical cornerback named Seahawks’ most exciting UDFA

Seahawks QB Jalen Milroe receives bold prediction for rookie season

ESPN analyst: Seahawks one of NFL’s least-improved teams in 2025


Published
Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.