SEATTLE — New Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon didn't pick up football until late in his high school career, but it took very little time for him to develop into a starter at Illinois - and eventually an All-American.
That kind of trajectory doesn't happen often, and it is one of many reasons Locked on Seahawks host Corbin Smith is excited about the future for Witherspoon in Seattle.
Smith spoke with NFL draft analyst Rob Rang about Seattle's decision to snag Witherspoon with the fifth overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and how quickly he could emerge as not only a starter for this Seahawks secondary - but a true NFL star.
"He really is in a lot of ways one of the complete packages of this draft class," Rang said. "That's why when it's all said and done I think he is going to walk in and be Seattle's starter opposite Tariq Woolen. I think he's going to give Seattle one of the better young [cornerback] tandems in the NFL."
Most felt Seattle would go with a defensive lineman with their pick at No. 5, with Tyree Wilson or Jalen Carter the common projections, but the Seahawks are known to toss curveballs during the draft and picking a cornerback this high - something they have never done before - certainly turned some heads.
However, Witherspoon's innate ball-hawking ability, outstanding coverage, and hard-hitting tendencies make him a complete package and gives Seattle a secondary that - while they may not replicate the Legion of Boom - should be among the most feared units in the NFL in 2023.