CB Devon Witherspoon is overhyped, but the potential is still through the roof

Illinois possessed the nation’s number one scoring defense in 2022, and the emergence of cornerback Devon Witherspoon was a big reason why. Earning an incredible 92.0 PFF grade, Witherspoon was dominant in coverage last season, allowing only 22 receptions despite being targeted 63 times. He allowed zero touchdowns the entire season, while also recording 3 interceptions and 14 passes defended.

The two-time All-Big Ten selection is looking to be the first cornerback off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft, but how high should he truly go?

The Seattle Seahawks selected Devon Witherspoon with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. For full coverage of the Devon Witherspoon pick, head over to Field Gulls.

As it pertains to last season, Witherspoon was a baller, displaying excellent instincts, fluidity, and feistiness. When aligned in press coverage, the Illinois corner displays aggressive hands and good angular positioning, rerouting wide receivers and forcing them to take the outside track on their route. Giving up a mere 3.3 yards per pass attempt in his direction, Witherspoon does not give receivers much breathing room downfield, running stride for stride with many of the top Big Ten receivers during the 2022 season.

I also appreciate Witherspoon’s aggressiveness in the open field. He is a willing tackler who overcomes his lack of elite size by taking smart tackling angles and displaying an impressive closing burst on ball handlers. His instincts are top-notch, and the focus in his eyes only expose his determination to make plays on the ball in off coverage.

While many consider the combine and pro day to be overrated events for a draft prospect, the 40 time is incredibly important for a cornerback, and one of the serious concerns about Witherspoon’s game was his speed. A nagging hamstring injury prevented him from participating at both the combine and the Illinois pro day, which left several questions unanswered. However, the speed concern with Witherspoon was put to rest when he ran a 4.42 40 at his individual pro day.

The biggest concern I have is that he pays for his aggression downfield, grabbing hold of receivers way too often. He will get flagged for it much more in the NFL than he did in college if the issue is not resolved.

I also worry about his recovery speed. Witherspoon did run a solid 40 time, but when you watch his tape, you see a player who struggles to recover when beat off the line. Fortunately, those instances of being beaten have been few and far between, but it is still a concern, especially when putting into consideration his slighter frame. Will physical NFL receivers bully him at the line more often than what happened in college? If so, can he make up ground on a receiver who gains a step on him early in the route? These are questions Witherspoon has left unanswered up to this point.

Witherspoon was unable to participate at the combine due to a hamstring injury, but he measured in at 5’11.5, 181 pounds, with 31.25-inch arms and 8 7/8-inch hands. At his individual pro day, he ran an impressive 4.42 in the 40-yard dash. The only thing still remaining in the balance for Witherspoon are his medicals. He checks the requisite boxes athletically, and the tape is impressive overall, making his inability to participate in all drills a rather meaningless concern.

Here is what Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had to say about Witherspoon:

Witherspoon is a fun watch but requires evaluators to carefully consider his strengths and weaknesses relative to scheme. He plays with anticipation, route feel and a consistent sense of urgency to prevent catches, as displayed by his high number of pass breakups. He plays with ballhawking eyes and good balance from zone coverage and is very aggressive tackling both after the catch and in run support. There are snaps where he gets behind and stays behind due to a lack of premium speed and closing burst, so he might require help over the top or a more zone-oriented scheme to help him shine. The playmaking mentality and traits give him a solid chance to become a CB2 in the league.

Witherspoon is an experienced corner in man coverage, but with his lack of size, it is possible his best fit will be in a zone-oriented scheme, where he can thrive off his instincts and open-field tackling ability. Regardless of scheme, I expect Witherspoon to be an immediate contributor, although the scheme may determine how dominant he can be in Year 1.