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Seattle Seahawks' Devon Witherspoon Named Top 10 CB in NFL

Devon Witherspoon is already being argued into elite company by some after earning a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie in 2023.

Jeremy Brener

Oct 22, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) covers Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado (31) during the second half at Lumen Field.
Oct 22, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) covers Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado (31) during the second half at Lumen Field. / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
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Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon was viewed as a reach by some when he was taken with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

However, he's now being viewed as a potential steal. ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler curated a survey of executives, coaches and scouts to rank the top 10 cornerbacks in the NFL, and Witherspoon snagged the No. 9 spot on the list.

“Witherspoon wasted little time becoming a top player in the competitive NFC West,” Fowler writes. “Seattle deployed him in a variety of ways, from instinctive cover man (16 pass deflections) to effective blitzer (3 sacks, 8 tackles for loss). Witherspoon's play earned him a Pro Bowl nod and a fourth-place finish in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race.”

The cornerbacks that ranked ahead of Witherspoon were Jaylon Johnson (Chicago Bears), Jaire Alexander (Green Bay Packers), Trent McDuffie (Kansas City Chiefs), Jalen Ramsey (Miami Dolphins), L'Jarius Sneed (Tennessee Titans), Sauce Gardner (New York Jets), Denzel Ward (Cleveland Browns) and Patrick Surtain II (Denver Broncos).

If Witherspoon is already viewed as an elite cornerback just one year into his career, the Seahawks defensive back could build quite the career as he moves into his prime. Now with a full offseason under his belt and his introduction to one of the best defensive minds in football in head coach Mike Macdonald, Witherspoon has the chance to continue climbing this list and proving even further why he is one of the best despite being one of the youngest.

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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