Ourlads' Profile:
2023 Guide: What Ourlads’ NFL Scouting Services said about DEVON WITHERSPOON:
Illinois | H: 5110 W: 183 40: 4.55 A: 3114 H: 0878 W: 7538
Three year starter, Pensacola, FL. First team All-Big 10 and first team All-America in 2022. Witherspoon has decent length for the position and he’s high energy and aggressive. Has played both man and zone concepts with over half his reps coming in 2022 as a matched up corner. Has played both outside and as a slot corner. He’s also played cover three, cover two and quarters in his time at Illinois. Equally adept at press and off-man. A sudden reactor he has incredible agility and anticipation skills. As a zone defender sees multiple threats with exceptional ability to react to the quarterback’s delivery key. His reaction with the ball in the air is extremely quick with no wasted movement. Gets to the catch point with abandon and can separate a receiver from the ball or drop him in his tracks on the catch. He’s a fundamentally sound tackler who explodes into tackles with knee bend and drive. Can be physical with receivers as a hard corner and shows reroute skill disrupting release. In off coverage he is smooth and patient in his pedal changing speeds to maintain cushion. Times turn and run to stay in phase up the field and through route breaks. Rarely gives up leverage in man or zone. As a press corner he mostly played a reactive or catch technique but flashes an off-hand jam to disrupt routes. Normally mirrors route breaks and if separated has a recovery burst to close back in phase. Fearless in run support he out-quicks blocks and can shoot his hands and slip a block on the move. His physical style of play can produce penalties and he can get grabby at times on route breaks. Has a somewhat slim frame but up until now has had little effect on his production. He’s versatile and could fit outside or in the slot.
2022 Stats: 41 T, 2.5 TFL, 14 PBU, 3 INT. 1st round.