Three things to know about Seahawks first-round pick Devon Witherspoon

With their first pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the Seattle Seahawks selected Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon at No. 5 overall Thursday night, passing on the likes of Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter and Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson.

Witherspoon becomes the highest pick the Seahawks have used on a cornerback in the Pete Carroll/John Schneider era, and the Seahawks no doubt hope he’ll become a cornerstone piece opposite Tariq Woolen in this Seattle defense.

Here are three things to know about Witherspoon:

He’s widely regarded as the No. 1 cornerback in this class

Witherspoon is listed at 5 feet, 11.5 inches and 181 pounds, with 31.25-inch arms. He had a breakthrough senior season with Illinois to rise up NFL draft boards.

In 425 coverage snaps in 2022, he allowed just 22 receptions on 63 targets, a completion rate of just 34.9% in 2022, per Pro Football Focus.

“Witherspoon is a lean, rangy cornerback with outstanding quickness, instincts and ball skills,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah wrote. “He is at his best in off coverage, where he is quick to read and drive on the ball. He is a very twitchy athlete and has the utmost trust in his eyes. He is extremely fluid to open up and mirror down the field, possessing enough speed to carry vertical routes.”

He’s physical and feisty

In a call with Seattle reporters Thursday, Witherspoon was asked to describe his playing style.

“I’m energetic. Physical. A dog on the field and very confident in what I do. I love to show my emotion out there on the field,” he said.

The Ringer’s Danny Kelly offered an intriguing comparison to Witherspoon — former Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor.

Specifically, Kelly wrote that Witherspoon shows “shades of Jaire Alexander physically (and) Kam Chancellor spiritually.”

That’s a lofty comp here in Seattle.

“Witherspoon has a slim, wiry build and plays with a relentless, hair-on-fire demeanor,” Kelly added. “… (He) is a tenacious tone-setter at cornerback who locks down his opponents in man-to-man coverage and hits like a ton of bricks.”

He was a zero-star recruit out of high school

Witherspoon didn’t start playing football until his junior year of high school in Pensacola, Florida, but quickly emerged as the area’s best player by his senior season. Still, he didn’t earn any star ratings from recruiting services, and his only scholarship offer from a major college program was Illinois.

He arrived at Illinois weighing between 148 and 158 pounds. Four years later, he was named the Big Ten’s best defensive back and a first-team All-American.

Witherspoon did not allow a touchdown in coverage last season, per PFF, and he allowed only one catch in press coverage. His 24.6 passer rating allowed was the best among Power Five cornerbacks.

“And he did that while playing more man coverage than any other cornerback in this class,” PFF wrote in its draft evaluation. “… You want 11 defenders that see the game the way Witherspoon does. With 2,334 snaps to his name (in college), Witherspoon has seen it all, and it shows on tape. Expect him to get his hands on a ton of footballs in the league.”