Seattle Seahawks Experimenting With Slot Cornerback Options

Devon Witherspoon wreaks havoc from the slot, but the Seahawks new coaching staff wants to use him outside as well, opening the door for others to vie for nickel snaps.

Jul 27, 2024; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) points at safety Rayshawn Jenkins (2) during training camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

RENTON, Wash. - While Devon Witherspoon figures to play substantial snaps inside to capitalize on his dynamic all-around skill set, the Seattle Seahawks don't plan to limit him to the slot, which has opened up an intriguing competition in the secondary early in training camp.

After spending the majority of his time in the nickel role during OTAs and the first handful of camp practices this month, Witherspoon played almost exclusively on the boundary on Tuesday across from Riq Woolen. Drawing several matchups against DK Metcalf, he allowed a touchdown during the red zone period on a difficult one-handed catch by the receiver to beat tight coverage, otherwise locking things down on the right side.

When asked if there's anything new he has learned about the second-year defensive back so far, coach Mike Macdonald said Witherspoon simply needs playing time outside, where he should see more snaps than he did as a rookie a year ago.

"He needs reps out there. He needs reps both sides," Macdonald responded. "He knows that, and we've got great competition when he's not inside at nickel. He's got to be on top of his game wherever he's at."

Last season, while Witherspoon played over 400 snaps in the slot, the Seahawks did rotate other players into the position, including veteran Artie Burns, who demonstrated better versatility than anticipated after playing almost exclusively on the boundary in his first five NFL seasons. Interestingly, the former first-round pick out of Miami has entered the fold as a possible slot option in Macdonald's defense, and logged a bunch of first-team reps at the position on Tuesday.

Taking advantage of his latest opportunity, Burns swatted away a potential touchdown from Geno Smith to Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the end zone during a "mystery scenario," which ended up being a red zone session from the 15-yard line with only 12 seconds on the clock. Burns and the defense wound up forcing three straight incompletions, winning the competition.

Earlier in camp, Burns intercepted Sam Howell during a team period after peeling off from his receiver in coverage and high-pointing an underthrown football for the pick. He also produced several pass breakups in the first five practices, standing out in a heated competition at cornerback that was further bolstered by the Seahawks drafting Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James out of Auburn in the fifth and sixth round of April's draft.

"He's making plays on the football," Macdonald said of Burns after Tuesday's practice. "A poise about him, a cleanliness to how he's playing, it's very smooth. He's taken strides from the spring. We're excited about Artie, he's right in the mix and we'll see how it shakes out."

With Burns sliding inside to the nickel role and Witherspoon and Woolen on the outside, Tre Brown and Mike Jackson played all of their snaps with the second-team defense on Tuesday, a departure from previous sessions when Brown had been at right cornerback with the starting unit. But that change wasn't a result of performance, as Brown has enjoyed a strong camp in his own right.

Consistently sparring with Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, Brown has regularly gotten his hands on the football, including generating a pair of pass deflections in the end zone when working against Metcalf in coverage. As Macdonald pointed out after Saturday's practice, the fourth-year cornerback has played at a high level and put his best foot forward vying for a starting role, but the new coaching staff wants to explore other options to make sure they assemble the best secondary combination.

"We have a lot of great competition in the corner room. We're moving guys around, but Tre is out there, he's battling, he's a competitive dude," Macdonald remarked. "Just pleased with his progress, his energy, his attitude. But again, four days in and we got a lot of great other players in that room as well that are battling for playing time, but he's right there with them."

Viewed as one of the franchise's cornerstones, Witherspoon will undoubtedly be in Seattle's starting lineup, and Woolen may be a lock at this point given his strong start to training camp. The question Macdonald and the rest of the defensive staff must answer, however, is whether Witherspoon will be used more outside or in the slot, which will have ripple effects on who emerges as the team's third cornerback.

Of course, the answer to that question may vary by opponent and game, especially in Macdonald's scheme where he moves players around like chess pieces snap to snap. It's possible Brown could see extensive snaps in one game and then a player such as Burns could see more action the next week against a different opponent, depending on game planning.

Regardless, the Seahawks have a good problem in the secondary with Brown and Jackson both offering ample starting experience and Burns continuing to prove his foray into the slot a year ago wasn't a fluke. And the best news? The season doesn't start for a month, so Macdonald will be able to continue mixing and matching combinations in coming days and in preseason games with the goal of figuring out how to best deploy arguably the deepest position group on the roster.