Since 2022, the Seattle Seahawks have rightfully been working on making their roster younger. The issue at the end of the 2010s wasn't that there were no good players on the team, but that the good players were getting older. With age comes injuries, and Seattle was a banged-up group.
The trick would be changing over the roster without completely falling off the proverbial cliff. Seattle was no longer a championship-level team, but general manager John Schneider and former head coach Pete Carroll did not want to force the team to be a bottom-10 squad.
Thankfully, the Seahawks might be leaving the land of mediocrity they have been stuck in for four seasons and getting to be very good again. A big reason for this is that the 2022 and 2023 draft classes were good. For instance, left tackle Charles Cross should be a staple with the team for much of the next decade.
Devon Witherspoon gets deserved honor from Pro Football Focus
But one young Seahawk has distanced himself in terms of production and accolades. That would be 2023 first-round choice (fifth overall) Devon Witherspoon. The do-it-all cornerback can easily play nickel and bounce outside when the scheme calls for it. He has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons.
He might not have been quite as disruptive in year two as a rookie, but many times, he makes plays that allow others to get the glory. Against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12, quarterback Kyler Murray rolled right and might have had a lot of time to throw the ball deep down the field, but Witherspoon read the play, pressured Murray, and forced him to throw an interception.
Safety Coby Bryant picked the pass off and returned it 69 yards for a touchdown. Bryant was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week due in part to the interception. It was Witherspoon that truly caused the turnover, though.
Plays like that earned Witherspoon a place on Pro Football Focus's (subscription required) list of the best current 25 players in the NFL under 25 years old. The Seahawks' cornerback ranks 16th. He is the third-highest-rated corner and ranks one spot ahead of defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
Many 12s wanted the team to take Carter at pick 5. Either Carter or Witherspoon would have been good picks, but Seattle's corner's versatility does allow head coach Mike Macdonald to disguise his scheme a bit more than having Carter would allow.
In their write-up of Witherspoon, PFF says, "Witherspoon has already proven to be one of the league’s most effective slot cornerbacks in all situations through his first two seasons, and he's a top-10 cornerback in PFF overall grade since 2022."
The expectation for Witherspoon in 2025 should be for him to have his best season so far. This is his second season under Macdonald, so the player and coach should understand what helps each be at their best.