NFL Draft: Commanders Interested in Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon?

Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon is expected to be a first-round pick in this year's NFL Draft. Could the Washington Commanders be his first NFL home?

Jeremy Brener | Feb 26, 2023

In this story:

Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders could benefit from adding a cornerback to team up with Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste.

While there are questionable fits in free agency, the draft is filled with talent at the position.

Bleacher Report named Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon as a "dream target" for the Commanders in the first round of this year's draft.

"Under the rationale of Porter and Oregon's Christian Gonzalez—more on him shortly—being unavailable, the Commanders can pivot to Devon Witherspoon," Bleacher Report writes. "He's hardly a consolation prize. The first-team AP All-America choice surrendered 22 catches for 206 yards and zero touchdowns with 14 total pass defenses on 63 targets last season, according to Pro Football Focus."

While Joey Porter Jr. (Penn State) and Christian Gonzalez (Oregon) may be higher on most team's boards, Witherspoon is worthy of a first-round pick and should definitely be on the Commanders' radar.

The Commanders are slated to pick at No. 16, but Witherspoon may still be on the board in the 20s, which could prompt Washington to trade back for him and get more picks. Washington traded back five spots last year and took wide receiver Jahan Dotson, who the team is very happy with after his rookie year.

That being said, the NFL Scouting Combine should shake things up and the Commanders should have eyes like a hawk on Witherspoon.

Follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter

Get your Washington Commanders game tickets from SI Tickets HERE!

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Washington Commanders? Click Here.

Follow Commander Country on Twitter.

Want even more Washington Commanders news? Check out the Si.com team page here

Published Feb 26, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.