There is a shockwave currently spreading across the NFL. The source is the impact of Seahawks rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon. After sitting out Week 1, Witherspoon made his debut against the Lions the following week. In the five games he’s played since, Witherspoon has already established himself as one of the game’s most-disruptive defenders.
There will be plenty of time to compare Witherspoon to other great athletes around the NFL, perhaps even the likes of Patrick Mahomes. For now, let’s keep the comparisons confined to cornerbacks. In that race, Witherspoon is winning by a comfortable margin. If the eyeball test hasn’t told you already that Witherspoon is the best cornerback in football, then you could believe Pro Football Focus.
Their grades have him ranked first at his position going into Week 8. Here’s a look at the full top 10.
First of all, it’s nuts for a rookie cornerback to be grading out this well after just a handful of games. Even the most promising defensive backs tend to struggle when they first come into the league. Ask Seahawks strong safety Jamal Adams and he’d literally tell you he was ass in his first year.
Aside from his incredibly rare early success, what makes Witherspoon unique is his ability to affect every phase of the game. Witherspoon’s run defense grade (90.2) ranks fourth at his position. His pass rush grade (92.2) ranks first and he’s currently No. 10 in coverage (80.8). And those are only the plays that count. This past week alone Witherspoon had a sack, an interception and a short but electrifying return taken away due to questionable penalties.
Witherspoon’s brilliance has clearly inspired the rest of the defense to raise their game, as well. While it’s hard to quantify that kind of thing, we see some evidence of this in the advanced stats. Since No. 21 made his debut only the Browns defense has a better EPA/play.
The Seahawks defense ranks 2nd in the NFL in EPA/play since Devon Witherspoon stepped on the field
1. CLE -0.173
2. SEA -0.145
3. BAL -0.137
4. SF -0.122
5. KC -0.121 pic.twitter.com/4nLwZzNHcc— Brian Nemhauser (@hawkblogger) October 23, 2023
Five games is still a small sample size, but it’s already impossible to ignore Witherspoon’s potential. For a defensive back to thrive in so many ways this early in his career is unprecedented, at least in this era.
Right now, it’s easy to see Witherspoon is the best cornerback in the league. If he continues playing like this much longer, soon we’ll have to discuss whether he’s already the best defender in the NFL at any position.
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