Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Ahkello Witherspoon

Though Seattle has undergone some philosophical shifts in regard to the types of corners they will use on the outside, the team still prefers size and length at the position. Changing zip codes in the NFC West with a one-year deal, will the 6-foot-3 Witherspoon be able to elevate his game to the next level and emerge as a long-term starter?

Corbin K. Smith | Jul 9, 2021

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason programs recently wrapping up, NFL training camps will begin around the league in less than a month. To celebrate the new incoming season, we will be breaking down the Seahawks' 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2021 campaign.

Ahkello Witherspoon, Cornerback

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 195 pounds

2020 Stats: 20 tackles, one interception, four passes defensed in 11 games

Selected in the third round back in 2017, the 49ers had lofty expectations for Witherspoon, expecting him to become a potential long-term starter at cornerback. But while the ex-Colorado standout played well in brief spurts during four seasons in San Francisco, injuries and inconsistent play hindered his development. After being a healthy scratch the first four games of his rookie year, a knee injury cost him the final two games of the 2018 season and a foot injury cost him six games in 2019. Hamstring problems cost him time in 2020 as well and even when healthy, he bounced in and out of the starting lineup, losing his job on numerous occasions. In 47 career games with the Niners, he registered 117 tackles, four interceptions, and 24 passes defensed. Despite his up-and-down play, the Seahawks were high on Witherspoon in the pre-draft process and given his ideal size and length and the fact he's still only 26 years old, the team took a flier on him with a one-year "prove it" deal in free agency in March.

Best Case Scenario: Finally putting everything together and playing with great confidence, Witherspoon wins a starting job out of camp and sets career-highs in tackles, interceptions, and passes defensed, emerging as an unexpected Pro Bowl selection for one of the NFL's most improved defenses.

Worst Case Scenario: Proving the 49ers right for letting him walk, Witherspoon slowly falls down the depth chart due to a lackluster preseason in favor of veteran Pierre Desir and rookie Tre Brown. While he still makes the team, he primarily plays a reserve role and on special teams and the team doesn't re-sign him next spring.

What to Expect in 2021: Joining the team he idolized while playing at Colorado, Witherspoon believes he will thrive in a Cover 3-heavy scheme catered well to his strengths. Early indications out of OTAs and minicamp suggest he will be the front runner to start on the left side, but he will have to earn that job in camp in what should be Seattle's fiercest positional battle in August. If he's able to avoid the minor injuries that dogged him over the past three years in San Francisco and shows a penchant for getting his hands on the football, he should be the favorite to start in Week 1 against Indianapolis and it's not out of the question he could be an unexpected upgrade over departed starter Shaquill Griffin. On the other hand, if consistency continues to evade him and past tackling issues resurface, he may not even be in the starting lineup. He will truly be one of the biggest wild cards for the Seahawks heading into the season.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primers

Published Jul 9, 2021

CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.