Seahawks Final Report Card: Did Devon Witherspoon, CB Group Live Up to Hype?
Despite finishing with a winning record for a second straight season, the Seattle Seahawks weren't fortunate enough to earn a playoff spot in 2023, bringing a disappointing season to a close earlier than expected.
Entering the season, after investing the fifth overall pick in Devon Witherspoon to pair with Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist Riq Woolen, Seattle expected to boast one of the deepest, most talented cornerback groups in the NFL. In some regards, the unit met expectations by limiting explosives and manufacturing turnovers, but the team still finished 21st in passing defense and whether fair or not, the corners contributed to an ugly 31st ranked run defense with poor tackling.
Continuing my annual post-season report card series, I hand out my year-end grades with areas of strength and areas of improvement while taking a look into the crystal ball to see what's next for the Seahawks at cornerback.
*All stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.
Devon Witherspoon
Overall Grade: 86.0
Areas of Strength: Highly disruptive playing multiple positions in Seattle's defense, Witherspoon wasted little time living up to his lofty billing as a top-five draft choice. Dishing out the punishment as an enforcer in the secondary, he tallied 79 combined tackles with eight tackles for loss, frequently making his presence felt around the line of scrimmage while logging extensive action at slot cornerback. A deft blitzer, he also thrived when sent after the quarterback, finishing tied for second among cornerbacks with 10 quarterback pressures and tying for first with a trio of sacks.
Away from his physicality in the run game and rushing the passer, Witherspoon also enjoyed a fine season in coverage for the Seahawks. Holding opposing quarterbacks to under a 57 percent completion rate, he returned his lone interception 97 yards for a touchdown and generated 10 pass breakups, tying for the ninth-most among cornerbacks. He also only gave up 394 receiving yards on 39 catches, the 12th-fewest among qualified defenders at his position.
Becoming the first rookie since 1999 with 16 passes defensed, three sacks, and eight tackles for loss, Devon Witherspoon starred for the Seahawks from the outset.
© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Areas of Improvement: While Witherspoon connected more times than not as a heat-seeking missile, he struggled throughout the season finishing tackles due to prioritizing big hits over wrapping the ball carrier. In 14 games, he missed a total of 11 tackles and posted a 12.1 percent missed tackle rate, which he can clearly improve upon going in to his second season. He also suffered from an occasional coverage breakdown, yielding four touchdowns over the course of the season, including getting baited on a flea flicker in a win over the Lions.
Riq Woolen
Overall Grade: 78.0
Areas of Strength: After tying for the league lead with six interceptions as a rookie, Woolen wasn't able to come close to replicating that feat, but he still did a fine job making plays on the football in coverage for Seattle. Allowing less than 10 yards per reception and a respectable 82.4 passer rating, he picked off a pair of passes, tied Witherspoon for the team lead with 10 pass breakups, and ranked fourth in PFF's forced incompletions metric with 19. He also sat just ahead of his rookie teammate for yards allowed in coverage, limiting big plays downfield all season long.
Areas of Improvement: Woolen's sophomore campaign was hindered by penalties and the inability to finish plays. Failing to capitalize on positioning himself to create a turnover, he dropped three interceptions in 16 games, tying for the third-most by any cornerback in 2023. Like Witherspoon, missed tackles were also a significant issue, but for different reasons. He seemed disinterested in putting his helmet into the fight at times and made business decisions against the run, wrapping up the year with 13 missed tackles and a dreadful 20 percent missed tackle rate.
Mike Jackson
Overall Grade: 77.0
Areas of Strength: Despite losing his starting job to Tre Brown out of training camp, Jackson kept himself ready for his opportunity and played at a high level down the stretch, even knocking Woolen out of the starting lineup for a game. Targeted 32 times in coverage while primarily playing on the boundary, he didn't yield a single touchdown and produced a quartet of pass breakups. He also missed only five tackles and pitched in steady play on kick coverage on special teams.
Areas of Improvement: Though he didn't give up many big plays in coverage, quarterbacks did complete close to 70 percent of their passes and averaged 11.9 yards per completion when targeting Jackson. He also failed to intercept any passes and still has just one pick in his entire NFL career.
Tre Brown
Overall Grade: 75.0
Areas of Strength: Living up to his "Big Play Tre" nickname, Brown returned one of his two interceptions for a 40-yard touchdown in a road win over the Lions in Week 2 and also forced a pair of fumbles for the Seahawks, showing a penchant for ripping the ball away from ball carriers. Along with adding five additional pass breakups in coverage, he also made the most of limited pass rushing opportunities, registering a sack on one of his two blitzes on the season.
Areas of Improvement: After getting off to a fast start, Brown's play leveled off in the second half of the season as he played through nagging injuries and saw diminished playing time. He didn't record a single pass breakup after Week 8 and battled his own tackling issues, finishing with six missed tackles and a 17.1 percent missed tackle rate. Penalties also were a significant problem as he tied Woolen drawing nine flags, including six combined pass interference and illegal contact infractions.
What's Next?
Anchored by Witherspoon, who could be named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year on Thursday night after a historic first season, the Seahawks have the pieces in place to build another dominant secondary around their cornerbacks under new coach Mike Macdonald. If Woolen can rebound from a somewhat disappointing sophomore season and Brown rediscovers his early 2023 form, this group has the potential to be a top-five, maybe even top-three unit next season.
With that said, Macdonald and his staff will have some work to do to maximize the talent at the position, particularly in the tackling department. While Seattle's issues wrapping up running backs and receivers went far beyond just cornerbacks, everyone from Witherspoon to Woolen had a part in those struggles and revisiting tackling fundamentals will need to be at the top of the priority list entering the offseason program.
As for any potential changes on the depth chart, Jackson will be a restricted free agent and with a tight salary cap situation, he may be out of the Seahawks budget to place a tender on. He could come back on a cheaper deal, but it's more likely they will turn to the draft looking for more depth, while Coby Bryant could also factor into the cornerback competition after spending most of last season on injured reserve.
Previous Seahawks Report Cards: Quarterback, Defensive Tackle, Running Back, EDGE/Outside Linebacker, Receiver, Inside Linebacker, Tight End
