Devon Witherspoon was not heavily recruited coming out of high school and was mostly overlooked by Power 5 schools. Illinois was the only Power 5 school to offer him. He earned a role as a true freshman and has taken long strides to get better every single year. In 2022, he allowed just a 35.5% completion rate, intercepted 3 passes and broke up another 14, showing that he could be a lockdown cornerback at the next level. 

I think that Devon Witherspoon is about finished with his growth. We know what he is and I don’t see a lot that he’s going to get much better with. He’s already a very strong cornerback prospect, both in man and zone. The biggest thing he could shore up is his pursuit angles and making sure he’s more effective in space. Outside of that, we know who Witherspoon is at this point. 

I’ve only watched two Devon Witherspoon games and this has already happened like five times pic.twitter.com/4QjPVyaudS

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) February 27, 2023

Missed the Combine workouts with a hamstring injury. Other than that, has stayed remarkably healthy throughout his entire career. 

Devon Witherspoon’s scouting report

Athletic Ability (40)

Speed/Athleticism: 20

• Speed (8.5/10) – Good speed. Solid overall athlete. Handled faster receivers well, going step for step with them. I’d anticipate him running a 4.44-4.48. 
• Lateral Quickness (3.5/5) – Fairly laterally quick. Doesn’t stand out in this regard but is suitable enough. 
• Acceleration (4/5) – Accelerates very well. Very explosive player who gets up to top speed very quickly. 

Strength: 15 

• Upper Body Strength (4/5) – Good upper body strength, especially for the position group. Has a lot of room to add to his frame.
• Lower Body Strength (3.5/5) – Good explosion and acceleration. Has a lot of room to expand on his frame. 
• Brute Power (3.5/5) – Not so much of a brute but delivers some nasty hits. 

Hip Flexibility: 15

• Change of Direction (8.5/10) – Hips have gotten smoother every year at Illinois. Very smooth and crisp through his breaks and while changing direction. 
• Recovery (4/5) – Shows good recoverability. Works himself back into the play with another gear. Doesn’t have to do so very often. 

Defender Ability (15)

Tackling: 10 

• Tackling Ability (4/6) – Wrap-up tackling leaves some room to be desired. Attacks downhill with serious force. Powerful at the point of contact. Excellent hit power. 
• Space Defending (2/4) – Not a great space defender just because of his issues with closing and pursuit angles. Can make the stop when he’s in position but it’s getting him to the position that might be an issue. 

Pursuit: 5

• Pursuit Angles (2.5/5) – Can find himself too aggressively over-pursuing a play. Does so often. 

Coverage Ability (30)

Man Coverage: 10

• Coverage Ability (6/7) – Reacts very well to breaks by the receiver. Bodies for position throughout the route, interferes without drawing a penalty with the receivers timing to make the catch. Typically does a good job holding up in coverage.
• Physicality (2/3) – Very physical cornerback. Very hands on, disruptive. Could draw a lot of flags at the NFL level. 

Zone Coverage: 15 

• Coverage Ability (5.5/7) – Plays his tech well. Ball hawk in zone coverage. Plays suitable in deep coverage as well as underneath. More effective underneath than he is deep. 
• Recognition (2.5/3) – Recognizes concepts quickly and peels off of coverage. 

Press Coverage: 10 

• Coverage Ability (6/7) – Promising press corner. Jams well and maintains his positioning throughout the rep. 
• Physicality (3/3) – Physically demanding in press. Relentless. 

Overall: (83.5) – First Round