Seattle Seahawks select Devon Witherspoon in first round of 2023 NFL Draft

Former Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon has landed at his new NFL home. After declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft following a four-year career in Champaign, Witherspoon was selected by the Seattle Seahawks with the No. 5 overall pick in the first round.

Witherspoon’s entrance into the professional ranks comes after a breakout senior season with the Illini. He was always a consistent contributor in the secondary and recorded 30+ tackles all four years of school. However, it was in 2022 where he showcased his pro potential, especially in coverage.

This past fall, Witherspoon ended with 41 total tackles — a step down from the 52 he had in 2021 actually — but he was a menace when the ball was thrown his way. Witherspoon came into the year with just two interceptions in his career but picked off three passes this fall. He also smashed his previous career high with 14 passes defended in 2022, which ranked top-10 in the NCAA in that metric and No. 2 in the Big Ten. He’s also top-20 in the history of the Big Ten in that stat since it started being recorded 18 or so years ago.

Simply put: one of the great cornerbacks in Illinois football history, and helped lead a terrific defense for Bret Bielema in 2022. Now, it’s off to the pros.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Devon Witherspoon

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein broke down Witherspoon’s profile over on NFL.com, where he wrote the following about the former Illini star:

“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.”

Some caution exuded there by Zierlein, who believes the schematic fit with Witherspoon at his new home is as important to his success as his actual play. However, this NFL analyst still sees a potentially pretty high ceiling for the Illinois corner is he’s able to fit like a glove into his new pro system.