Early in the season, it was fair to compare the 2023 NFL Draft cornerback class with its 2022 counterpart and feel underwhelmed.
However, several CBs have since cemented themselves as early-round prospects. And once you delve into Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon’s scouting report, it’s clear he’s one of them.
Devon Witherspoon NFL Draft Profile
- Position: CB
- School: Illinois
- Current Year: Junior
- Height/Weight: 6’0″, 180 pounds
Sometimes when watching early-round prospects, you wonder how they ended up at their current school. And while Illinois is a Big Ten program with plenty of talent, especially on defense, they aren’t exactly an NFL pipeline (10 players drafted since 2015).
Yet, you have to credit the Fighting Illini for finding a diamond in the rough. Witherspoon wasn’t your typical five-star prospect. In fact, he had zero stars coming out of Pine Forest High School in Pensacola, Florida.
His recruiting trail was so dry that he originally committed to Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. But it wasn’t because he didn’t have talent — he simply didn’t have the tape. Witherspoon didn’t begin playing football until his junior year!
In his two years of high school ball, Witherspoon generated 11 interceptions, 18 PBUs, and 139 tackles. He even starred for Pine Forest’s basketball and track teams. So yeah, Witherspoon’s always had the God-given tools to be an elite athlete.
Now, when I said his recruiting trail was dry because of a lack of tape, I omitted one crucial fact: He was on the verge of being academically ineligible. With only two years of film, albeit scholarship-worthy, and issues in the classroom, it’s clear why most programs kept their distance.
But Witherspoon didn’t let this deter him from his dream. Instead, he put his head down and raised his grades. Once he did, the D1 offers rolled in. And four days before training camp began in July, Witherspoon verbally committed to Illinois.
That year, he became the only member of the Fighting Illini’s 2019 recruiting class to start a game and led the team in special-teams tackles. Fast forward to 2022, and Witherspoon is a three-year starter coming off his best season yet, racking up three INTs and 14 PBUs (tied eighth most).
To keep the success train rolling, Witherspoon accepted his invite to the Reese’s Senior Bowl and was one of three finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award (the first in Illinois history), given to the nation’s top defensive back.
Devon Witherspoon Scouting Report
Like yours truly, Illinois DBs coach Aaron Henry is a big fan of Witherspoon’s game:
“He understands what route combinations are occurring. He understands wide receiver splits. The young man is brilliantly intelligent. He’s very, very, very smart. He can tell you what formations, what routes they like, and when they like to run them. He’s that intelligent.
“He’s probably one of the smarter guys I’ve had back there, especially at the corner position. He’s so wise. He understands the game. … He expects to make plays. He expects to have good games because that’s the way he practices.”
That’s two paragraphs of praise, yet it only scratches the surface of what makes Witherspoon one of the top cornerbacks in the 20223 NFL Draft class.
Where Witherspoon Wins
Aggressive. Physical. Confident. If you watch Witherspoon play, and those aren’t the first words that come to mind, we’re watching different players. Like Sauce Gardner from the 2022 class, Witherspoon has the utmost belief in his ability to shut down the man across from him.
What he lacks in size at 6’0″ and 180 pounds, he doubles with sheer effort and will. He sets the tone in the secondary with energetic and violent plays, both with the ball in the air and on the ground.
Seriously, you won’t see any other corner lay the wood with as much vigor and furiosity as Witherspoon. But he isn’t just throwing his body into hits aimlessly — he understands leverage and angles, taking the proper path and technique into every attempt.
Against the run, Witherspoon disengages quickly from outside blockers and crashes down to support the front seven. Many times, the Illinois CB made the solo stop, even behind the line of scrimmage on runs toward the edge.
Now that we got Witherspoon’s elite run defense out of the way, let’s dive into what makes him my CB1. Yes, that’s right. Currently, I’d take Witherspoon over the likes of Kelee Ringo, Joey Porter Jr., Christian Gonzalez, and any other corner you prefer.
The Illinois CB’s coverage ability simply supersedes that of his peers. The Fighting Illini ran man coverage on roughly 75% of their snaps, by far the highest rate in the nation. The result? 12.3 points (first) and 263.8 yards (second) allowed per game — top-two marks across all 131 FBS programs.
But that’s the overall defense; how about the coverage unit? Eight touchdowns allowed (tied fewest), 22 interceptions (most), 49.5% completion rate (first), and 5.4 yards per pass attempt (fewest).
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Much of that success can be attributed to Witherspoon, whose ability to shut down one side of the field freed up the rest of the defense. At the line, Witherspoon possesses smooth feet and controlled one or two-hand strikes.
Witherspoon keeps squared shoulders until he feels the WR pushing vertically, to which point he can quickly flip his hips and carry them upfield. While not the fastest corner, which we will get into later, Witherspoon has enough juice to stay in phase on deep routes.
But mid-route is where the Illinois CB truly shines. He remains low and patient in his backpedal, not declaring his hips too swiftly. When paired with his rapid feet, fluid hips, and overall short-area suddenness, Witherspoon has no issue staying in his opponent’s pocket or breaking on the ball.
It’s clear he studies tape, too, as there are many reps where Witherspoon sees the route/play happening before they finish. He combines his knowledge with exceptional reactive athleticism, where his body is able to respond to what his eyes see at a moment’s notice.
Witherspoon analyzes the receiver’s movements like an AI, watching for any change in tempo, pad level, or hip angle, all of which are indicators for route breaks. So Witherspoon is stellar at the line and mid-route, but what about the catch point? Glad you asked.
The Illinois CB owns tremendous ball skills, often out-physicaling his opponent at the catch point. He sets himself up with quality hand combat before getting his head around to make a play on the ball. Fighting through hands is natural for him, as evidenced by his 14 pass deflections and three INTs this season.
Witherspoon is clearly the top man-coverage corner in the class. His instincts and tape study are unparalleled, significantly boosting his average to above-average physical traits. Oh, and he has over 300 special-teams snaps on his résumé (kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field-goal block).
Witherspoon’s Areas for Improvement
As much as I love Witherspoon’s game, there are always areas for improvement. Chief of which for the Illinois CB is containing his aggressiveness. Across the last two seasons, Witherspoon’s been penalized 11 times, mostly from defensive pass interferences.
He’s developed this year since entering college, working on getting his head around before the ball entered the vicinity. However, Witherspoon can still be too physical, over-eager, and “handsy,” which he may struggle with during his first few years in the NFL.
In coverage, Witherspoon can be overconfident in his play recognition and physical abilities, falling for the occasional double or even triple move. And as a tackler, there were times when he overpursued angles, leading to whiffs and broken attempts.
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Now, there are some aspects of Witherspoon’s scouting report that he can’t truly improve on. Although he does an excellent job staying on top of routes and not letting himself get stacked, his long speed can be questionable vs. speedy WRs. Teams will keep an eye on Witherspoon’s 40-yard-dash time at the NFL Combine.
Additionally, the Illinois CB’s arm length is average at best. It hasn’t proven to be much of an issue in college, but it could rear its head against bigger and stronger NFL wideouts.
Speaking of, Witherspoon owns a relatively light frame, which could cause problems in press coverage and at route breaks. Lastly, will teams box him into the “slot only” category? I believe Witherspoon can star on the outside, but I’m also not an NFL decision-maker.
Current Draft Projection for Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon
If it wasn’t obvious, Witherspoon has become one of “my guys” this season. But when putting my biases aside, he checks in as the CB1 in the 2023 NFL Draft. Nevertheless, I’m not blind to the fact NFL franchises seek size/speed athletes, and Witherspoon doesn’t fall into that bucket.
As a result, I don’t believe he will be the first corner off the board on draft night. He may even fall out of Round 1, but whoever selects him is getting one heck of a steal if he does.
Currently, Witherspoon is a top-50 pick with the versatility to play inside or outside. Even if teams sneer at his physical ceiling and view him as a slot-only option, Witherspoon’s production and film will ensure he hears his name called on Day 2.
Start him on the outside, and if he struggles, you still have an elite prospect in the slot — a position that’s value has grown exponentially in recent years. Witherspoon’s run defense, hard-hitting/confident play style, and special-teams experience only increase his odds of receiving significant playing time early on.
While Witherspoon isn’t the fastest or biggest, there is no debating his ability to flourish as a man corner — you can put a fork in it.