Player: Devon Witherspoon
School: Illinois
Measurables:
- Height: 5’11.5” (NFL Combine)
- Weight: 181 (NFL Combine)
- 40: DNP
- 10 Yard Split: DNP
- Bench: DNP
- Vertical Jump: DNP
- Broad Jump: DNP
- 3 Cone: DNP
- 20 Yard Shuttle: DNP
- Other Notes: Witherspoon did not participate at the combine due to a minor hamstring injury. Witherspoon was my CB2 heading into the combine behind Gonzalez. Gonzalez tested and tested extremely well. Unless Witherspoon has a crazy pro day, Gonzalez has pretty much cemented himself as our CB1.
Graded Position Specific Traits:
- Man Coverage: 9/10
- Zone Coverage: 6.25/10
- Field Vision: 7.25/10
- Tackling: 7/10
- Run Support: 6/10
- Range: 6.25/10
Prospect Grade: 41.75/60; 69.6%- Top tier starter with pro bowl potential
Projected Draft Day: Early-Mid Round 1
Player Comparison: L’Jarius Sneed
Player Summary:
Devon Witherspoon is a CB prospect that seemed to fly up mock drafts pretty much out of nowhere and is being considered one of the most slept on CB prospects this year. I mean it’s easy to get lost in a CB class that seems to be extremely deep and includes players such as Kelee Ringo, Joey Porter Jr., and Christian Gonzalez to name a few.
Starting with the positives, Witherspoon is an unbelievable man coverage cornerback. It is interesting to note, Illinois plays a ridiculous amount of man coverage. Witherspoon is this year’s McDuffie for anyone who remembers my profile on McDuffie. Only difference is McDuffie played about 90% zone, whereas Witherspoon played about 90% man. I guess when your defensive scheme relies on your CBs playing man, you better be good at it. Witherspoon also has inside-outside versatility, and likes to get hands on and be aggressive at the point of attack. He can read the field pretty well and has pretty good range as well.
The biggest issue I notice about Witherspoon is his tackling. Yes, his tackling grade is pretty good and that stands, it’s just that there was an inconsistency in his tackling. Witherspoon has the ability to lay the highlight reel tackle, and can also secure a tackle, but it’s not all the time. Witherspoon seems to be a better tackler when getting downhill. When runs break off into the second and third levels and you have to tackle the ball carrier in space is when his tackling is much more rough. It’s really more so the angles he takes on his tackles in space than it is his actual ability to tackle.
The only other note I have goes back to what I was saying earlier about Illinois playing like 90% man(or that’s what it seemed like at least). Witherspoon’s zone and field vision grades are not fully an accurate representation of him as a player. With such minimal zone coverage tape it’s really hard to gauge what his skill level is or how well he can read the field. His grade sits at roughly 70% right now, but to me that’s minimum. Witherspoon could very well be a multi-time pro bowler or more, but I would rather give a conservative grade on traits I can’t fully see than to over-guess and shoot high.