The Seattle Seahawks have secured one of the best players of his year in rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. In the most recent game, he became the first defender from this year’s draft to land two sacks in the game against the New York Giants and also caught an interception from quarterback Daniel Jones, which he carried back into the end zone for a touchdown. His play prompted teammate DK Metcalf to issue a warning to star receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
On Sunday the Seahawks travel away to Ohio. There they meet the Cincinnati Bengals (live on RTL from 7 p.m.). If DK Metcalf has his way, the traveling fans of “The 12s” can look forward to a very special matchup. Ja’Marr Chase then faces Devon Witherspoon. Metcalf knows exactly what he’s talking about. After all, he has to take on the cornerback, who goes by the nickname “Spoon,” in every training session.
“It’ll be fun to watch on Sunday. Spoon will get the best out of Chase,” Metcalf responded to the Bengals receiver’s statement that he was “always open” and would be free for quarterback Joe Burrow. In his opinion, Ja’Marr Chase won’t have it that easy against Witherspoon, who carried a pick-six over 97 yards into the end zone two weeks ago.
Devon Witherspoon: U-turn at college at Illinois
Devon Witherspoon went to the University of Illinois to pursue a career as a basketball player. But he instead earned a degree in communications and catching passes from opposing quarterbacks in the Big Ten Conference.
It took a while for Witherspoon to make a name for himself in football as a defender. He was first brought into the team by former NFL head coach Lovie Smith and trained in his skills as a versatile pass defender. When Smith returned to the NFL after his release, Brett Bielema, who also had extensive experience as an assistant coach in the American professional league, took over.
Bielema ultimately uncorked Spoon’s special talent. The young cornerback had three interceptions and blocked 14 passes in his senior year of college. He played one of his best games in the matchup against the playoff team of the Michigan Wolverines and quarterback JJ McCarthy, even if the duel, which had been open for a long time, was still lost in the end. There he was often placed closer to the line of scrimmage for blitzes and as a run defender.
Devon Witherspoon: No. 5 in the 2024 NFL Draft
Witherspoon presented himself in the crucial phase of his college career as an excellent man coverr who can also occasionally switch to zone coverage. At 1.81 meters, he was slightly smaller and lighter than Christian Gonzalez, who landed with the New England Patriots shortly after him. But before the draft, the Seahawks gave no thought to whether the 22-year-old was a physical match for the NFL on the wing and took him fifth overall in the annual college player selection at the end of April.
It seems like Seattle has been paying close attention and analyzing the video footage of its college games. Because in the game against the New York Giants, Witherspoon wasn’t just put on the wing to go one-on-one against the best wide receiver. Instead, he was often responsible for supporting the run defense as a nickelback and received a few special plays when he was supposed to shoot straight through to the quarterback unblocked.
Witherspoon uses his versatility to influence the opponent’s game as often as possible. Maybe that’s why the matchup with Ja’Marr Chase won’t be a regular occurrence and DK Metcalf will have to enjoy other plays. But in Devon Witherspoon’s current form, they are almost inevitable. The Seahawks have once again caught a special defender in the draft and can look forward to many more games like the one against the Giants.
Philip Forstner