Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon Not a Top-3 DROY Candidate: Analyst

Getty Devon Witherspoon of the Seattle Seahawks and Jalen Carter of the Philadelphia Eagles

The Seattle Seahawks took Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon No. 5 overall in the 2023 NFL draft, and he rewarded that decision with an incredible Pro Bowl season.

However, the CB did miss some time with injuries, and ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell says that puts the Seahawks rookie out of the top-three NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year conversation, despite the fact he played more snaps this season than the three favorites.

Bill Barnwell Says Missed Time Disqualify Devon Witherspoon From Winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year

For much of the 2023 NFL season, Seahawks rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon was in the conversation to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. However, that conversation has slowed as the season came to an end.

Despite being the only rookie on the defensive side of either Pro Bowl roster and one of just three rookies overall — joining Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua — to make this all-star team, he is no longer in consideration for the end-of-season award.

“Devon Witherspoon (Seahawks) has looked like a superstar when healthy, but he has basically missed 4½ games with injuries,” ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell wrote of the Seahawks CB. “[Joey] Porter or Witherspoon might be the NFL’s best rookies on a snap-by-snap basis, but they missed too much time to make it into the end-of-season top three.”

This is an interesting argument, especially the way Barnwell worded it.

Saying that Witherspoon “might be the NFL’s best rookies on a snap-by-snap basis” makes it sound like he has played a limited number of snaps this season compared to the other top NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates.

Witherspoon played in 14 of 17 games this season — and here’s the kicker — he has played significantly more snaps this season than Barnwell’s top three DROY candidates, Houston Texans edge-rusher Will Anderson Jr., Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner, and Philadelphia Eagles DT Jalen Carter.

In his 14 games, Witherspoon has been on the field for 883 defensive snaps, which is 91 percent of the Seahawks’ defensive plays. Meanwhile, Anderson played 630 snaps (63 percent), Turner played 696 (62 percent), and Carter played 563 snaps (51 percent).

So, Witherspoon wasn’t on the field enough to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he was on the field nearly 200 more times or more than the players who “should” win it?

The Betting Odds Back Bill Barnwell Up

While Bill Barnwell might be dead wrong in the eyes of Seahawks fans about Devon Witherspoon winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, the sportsbooks around the country seem to agree with him that it is Anderson, Turner, or Carter’s to lose.

As of January 9, 2024, Carter is a -120 to -300 favorite for DROY, according to Vegas Insider’s roundup of odds at different legal betting sites. Anderson has the second-best odds at +150 to +330, and Turner is right behind at +350 to +500.

Witherspoon generally does come in fourth on these sites with odds from +3300 to +10000. That’s pretty much on par with Pittsburgh Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr., Lions safety Brian Branch, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers EDGE Yaya Diaby.

Devon Witherspoon Had an Incredible Rookie Season

The 2023 NFL Draft was loaded with cornerback talent. More CBs (36) went in this draft than any other position, with 12 going in the first two days. The first one off the board, though, was Witherspoon to the Seahawks.

That pick paid off in a big way, as Witherspoon was, indeed, the best of the bunch, as his Pro Bowl nod suggests.

The Seahawks rookie CB filled up the stat sheet this season, recording 79 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 8 tackles for a loss, 4 QB hits, 1 forced fumble, 16 passes defended, and 1 interception, which he returned for a 97-yard touchdown against the New York Giants.

That Giants game on Oct. 2 was Witherspoon’s coming out party. On “Monday Night Football” of Week 4, the DB had 7 tackles, and 2.0 sacks, along with his forced fumble and INT.

Missing Weeks 15 and 16 may have cost Witherspoon the DROY Award, but the year was still incredible nonetheless. And while the defense overall struggled at times, knowing the unit has a truly elite playmaker on the outside like Witherspoon will make Seahawks fans optimistic for the future.