2023 NFL Draft: Devon Witherspoon - Illinois Cornerback

Devon Witherspoon - Illinois

Strengths:

1. Acceleration - Witherspoon can accelerate in any direction from any stance to full speed instantaneously. His hips are so quick and his first step is so powerful that he can get to where he needs to be faster than anyone else on the field. This helps him to get to the ball first in off coverage by reading the receivers' breaks effectively, as well as with keeping up in press man against really any opponent.

2. Man Coverage - If Witherspoon is on a man, he is one of the stickiest corners out there. Tight press, soft press, squat, off, you name it. He knows how to play the position, and is incredible at reading his opponent. He should thrive in any heavy man scheme in the NFL despite his size.

3. Anticipation - He will run routes for his opponents so quickly with such precision that it almost appears as if he is guessing.

Weaknesses:

1. Size - At a skinny 181lbs, Witherspoon does not have the prototypical size of an outside cornerback in the NFL.

2. Wrapping Up - He is aggressive when getting off his man to make tackles, but his form is atrocious. He often flings himself at the feet of opponents without wrapping up. He is also not immune to missing a player entirely in the open field from being too eager to run up and make the tackle.

3. Double moves - His anticipation is elite, but he often expects one break. If a receiver breaks again shortly after, then Witherspoon will occasionally be caught with his momentum carrying him the wrong way. His recovery is exceptional, but hard committing to the first break may leave him vulnerable at times in the NFL where the timing of passes is considerably quicker.

Grade: Top 15 Pick

Pro Comparison: Jaire Alexander

Witherspoon is considerably lighter and a bit taller, but their playstyles on the outside are remarkably similar.

Film Notes:

Minnesota (10/15/2022)

Powerful stop, getting off his man to make driving tackle. Feisty. Never leaves his opponent's hip. Incredible movement skills, but more choppy then smooth. Just does not allow separation from press. Runs routes for receivers. They get no wiggle room or even a step after their first break. Incredibly quick reactions in off coverage. Very physical from press. Full hip flip to sprint from squat is unmatched. Good burst and timing on blitz. Plays with urgency on every play. Blankets on every route. Hip rotations are off the charts. He can flip one way then back the other without missing a beat. Threw himself at the feet of receiver when making tackle. Did not attempt to involve his arms. Gave zero separation. Essentially played a perfect game.

Michigan (11/19/2022)

Missed tackle in open field. Incredibly physical in coverage despite size. Planting and closing from off coverage is very strong. Ability to navigate mesh routes is excellent. Ability to click and close is best in class. Always playing with full effort. Full speed from first step. One of the best off coverage players in this class. Open field navigation is superb. Good reaction to make tackle in run game. Quick blitz with strong tackle in backfield. Scrappy. Not as anticipatory in zone as he is man coverage. Maintained contact across field. Gets past blockers easily with finesse. Gets head around early when tracking a guy at full speed. Clearly very fast on top of quick acceleration.

Chattanooga (09/22/2022)

Can turn and run with anyone, staying at the hip. Keeps contact throughout the duration of most routes. Elite press man corner. Excellent in off coverage as well with his closing ability. Can burst in any direction instantly at full speed. Very scrappy. Always know where he is on the field from body language. Multiple hip flips effortlessly. Allowed one step on nice route.

Wyoming (08/27/2022)

Ran route faster than receiver. Violent hands. Unbelievable in off coverage. Lock down all game. Lined up in the slot. Easy interception, gaining position with his body without much pushback. Rarely targeted. Closes from off coverage so quickly. Tracks through mesh routes and across the field with ease. Lateral acceleration is a strong suit. Clearly very competitive.

Attributes (Grade/10):

Coverage	Tight Press	9.5
	Soft Press	10
	Off / Squat	10
	Zone	8

Tight Press: Allowed one yard total on 113 press coverage snaps. This dude does not allow separation whatsoever. He is feisty, and can stay physical with any opponent through the entire duration of nearly any route. Witherspoon is feisty and physical at the line. Only knock would be stemming from his size and lack of ability to jam effectively at the line.

Soft Press: Elite from soft coverage. He can stay with anyone, and this helps relieve his size deficit.

Off/Squat: He may be even betting in off coverage than press. His ability to anticipate what his opponent will do and then do it for them is unlike any other corner in class. He is truly elite in off coverage, making him scheme versatile in the NFL.

Zone: He is a fine zone player, but much better at reading his man than the quarterback.

Man	Stickiness	10
	Hips	10
	Line Contact	8
	Size / Strength	4
	Accel / Decel	10

Stickiness: Witherspoon can stick with anyone throughout any route. His ability to do so is unreal.

Hips: He appears more choppy then fluid, but that is simply because of how quick he can pivot. He stays low to the ground, and can rotate any angle with incredible efficiency without thinking twice about it.

Line Contact: While undersized, Witherspoon is feisty and loves contact. He may not redirect routes at the line, but he can surely be a nuisance and slow down his opponent considerably.

Size/Strength: 181lbs is around the 12th percentile for the position. Many teams may relegate him to the slot despite his effectiveness on the outside simply because of his size.

Accel/Decel: This is perhaps his greatest strength as an athlete.

Instincts	Anticipation	10
	Playmaking	9
	Football Intelligence	8

Anticipation: He runs routes for his opponent better than anyone in class. He reads his man and is seemingly never wrong about where they are going to go on single break routes.

Playmaking: When the ball comes his way in press coverage, he is more likely to catch it than he is to give up a reception. He has 14 pass break ups on a season allowing 22 total receptions. He is playmaker who consistently gets at least a hand on the football.

Football Intelligence: While he may not be elite when sitting back and reading the quarterback, he does his job in man to where using him in a zone-heavy scheme would waste his talents. He has all of the football intelligence needed to play man coverage effectively, and knows to get off of his man in a hurry when needed in the run game.

Ball Skills	Hands	10
	Contested Catch	9

Hands: Zero dropped interceptions on the season. No reason to question his hands.

Contested Catch: Great in contested catch situations with how feisty and aggressive he is. He has not been tested fully against NFL caliber outside receivers who may be able to box him out, but there are no concerns other than size from what he has shown on tape.

Zone	Route Awareness	9.5
	Discipline	7
	Jumping Routes	6

Route Awareness: He knows the route when reading the player. The only issue is then means that his eyes are not on the quarterback. He knows how to get off his man and pick up the next as well.

Discipline: Reading his man comes at the expense at not looking at the bigger picture across the field. This is not a weakness per se, Witherspoon is just a better man corner overall.

Jumping Routes: He does not jump routes from zone like he does man. He reacts very quickly, and latches onto his opponent in a hurry, but he does not often undercut routes from zone coverage.

Open Field	Tackling	7.5
	Pursuit	9.5
	Speed	9.5

Tackling: His tackling form is rather poor at times, but this is not to be confused with his ability in the run game. He commits to stopping the run despite his size, and has impressive stops throughout his tape. His tackle form is rather poor, but strangely effective with only five missed tackles on the season.

Pursuit: He is strong in the run game, and never a step away from his opponent in coverage. With his aggression and competitiveness, Witherspoon is excellent in pursuit.

Speed: With 4.39 speed, he should be able to keep up with most receivers. On the field, he plays even faster than that. He simply does not let his opponents pull away from him regardless of their position, size, or speed.

Blitz	Timing	9.5
	Effectiveness	8

Timing: Witherspoon's acceleration makes him a threat when blitzing when unchecked. He has great timing, and can get to the quarterback from the edge in a hurry.

Effectiveness: Eight TFLs and a sack in 2021 tell more about his prowess behind the line of scrimmage than his 2022 stats. He is effective when blitzing due to his speed, but does not possess any sort of ability to work through linemen if caught one-on-one.

Full Report:

If Witherspoon weighed 20lbs more, he would likely be considered a top five, blue chip prospect. He is the stickiest player in all off college football allowing only one total yard on 113 press coverage snaps. Not only is he exceptional in press man, but also in off man coverage. His ability to anticipate routes is uncanny, often beating the receiver to the punch. His drive once he sticks his foot in the ground is on another level with an ability to accelerate in any direction immediately with quick hip turns. He plays across the field wherever he is needed, and is the definition of a scheme versatile prospect. Really the only knocks on his gameplay stem from his size. Despite being incredibly feisty throughout the route, he may not have the mass to gain a favorable position and disrupt outside receivers in the NFL who may outweigh him by over 40lbs. He will not heavily deter routes at the line of those massive receivers, and will struggle to get off of blocks in the NFL. He is aggressive in the run game, throwing all 180lbs at the runner with full force, but he does not reliably wrap up in open space as much as throw his body around. The NFL is a different animal than college football when it comes to size and strength of the opposition, and Witherspoon may get exploited in ways that he was not in college. Although he is undersized, he has the best coverage skills of any corner in this class. He has body control like none other, and can stay attached to any receiver throughout any route. His skills are on par with that of prospects with grades inside the top five in any class, but his size will undoubtedly cause him to drop beyond that point. With what he has shown this past season, it would be astounding to see him fall outside of the first round.

NFL Projection:

Witherspoon will likely be a top 20 pick. He may play the slot in his rookie year, but should earn a starting job on the outside. If he gains some mass and play strength without losing any explosiveness, he could be an elite lockdown corner in the NFL.