The last thing anyone wants to see is holdouts as camp opens, and this year, Seattle had a holdout in Devon Witherspoon. The first-round pick has agreed to a four-year $31.86 million rookie contract, as first reported by NFL Network’s own Ian Rapoport. The team has now confirmed the deal. According to sources, the deal also includes a fully guaranteed $20.2 million signing bonus.
Who is Devon Witherspoon?
The 5’11”, 181-pound cornerback was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks fifth overall coming out of the 2023 NFL Entry Draft. The Pensacola, Florida native was ranked 3rd at the 2023 NFL Combine in the cornerback category, according to NFL Prospects.
Witherspoon was the 2018 Pensacola Defensive Player of the Year and the Big Ben Defensive Back of the Year in 2022 while attending Illinois. The well-balanced instinctive cornerback is known for his striker’s mentality. He has a keen ability to zone in on the receiver’s hands-on deep throws and holds an impressive 34.9% completion rate in 2022 per PFF.
The concerns surrounding Witherspoon are all baked into his aggressiveness. His ability to lean all in on a play could leave him overplaying double moves. In addition, his sluggish starts and top-end speed could cause problems at the NFL level.
What’s Next for Devon Witherspoon
Seattle fans should be excited to see Devon Witherspoon at camp. His ability to push for an NFL spot isn’t in question, but his longevity and place on the depth chart in the position will be fun for Seattle Seahawk fans. Ultimately, it’s likely that Witherspoon will be a solid CB2 in the future.
