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Seahawks Select Devon Witherspoon; Jalen Carter Concerns at Play?

The Seattle Seahawks selected cornerback Devon Witherspoon with the No. 5 pick, but did the question marks around Jalen Carter force their hand?

Adam Schultz

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The Seattle Seahawks tricked everyone. Holding two picks in the first round (No. 5 and No. 20), the consensus was that Seattle would take Georgia Bulldog, Jalen Carter. They didn’t.

The Seahawks took Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon instead to pair with Tariq Woolen. It brings into focus Carter’s off-field issues that have been the cause of much angst over the last few months.

There are questions about his maturity, per a source that spoke with All.Seahawks.com, along with his reported involvement in a car accident that took the life of a fellow teammate and team staffer. Many thought it was almost a sure thing that Seattle would take Carter at No. 5. He instead went to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 9, who traded up one spot to get him.

Additionally, his uninspiring pro day saw him struggle to finish the session. All of this could have led Seattle to say thanks but no thanks to Carter.

In Witherspoon, the Seahawks have a top corner who loves to play physical and can take the ball away at will. If quarterbacks are going to throw in his direction, then the ball will have to be accurate, otherwise its going back the other way.

He is superb at undercutting routes and staying with his receiver, and when you pair him with Woolen, Seattle has its cornerback duo set for the next decade.

Perhaps the one thing that head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider will like is how physical Witherspoon is. He isn’t afraid to play angry, and couple that with his ability to take the ball away, the Seahawks' secondary will be tough to throw on next year.

But despite the pick, many wonder what it was that made Seattle pass on Carter.

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Adam Schultz
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