In his two years in the NFL, former first-round Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon has had the luxury of practicing against some of the league's best receivers. That's helped fuel him to consecutive Pro Bowl in honors since being drafted.
Witherspoon and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba have been iron sharpening iron over the last two seasons since being drafted 15 picks apart in 2023. Smith-Njigba also made his first Pro Bowl in 2024 as an alternate after posting 100 catches, 1,130 yards and six touchdowns.
In an interview on the Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry podcast during Super Bowl week, Witherspoon and Smith-Njigba talked about first-year head coach Mike Macdonald, their 2024 seasons and how they've helped improve each others' game.
"He always is going to push me to be better in practice and stuff like that," Witherspoon said of Smith-Njigba. "DK [Metcalf] as well, and Tyler [Lockett]. Going against them every day, when you get in the game it’s kind of easy, because I get every variation of all receivers in practice. So it’s not really hard to play in the game.”
Witherspoon's statistics didn't pop off the page in his second season like they did in his rookie season, but he was one of the most impactful cornerbacks in the NFL. He was one of the best run-stopping corners and finished second in solo tackles at the position.
In coverage, Witherspoon had nine pass deflections and allowed a 99.2 passer rating in coverage. He was one of the most versatile corners in the league as well, taking 48 percent of his snaps in the slot, per Pro Football Focus, and 35 percent from wide corner.
Witherspoon and Smith-Njigba have been two of Seattle's best players since being drafted two seasons ago. Both first-round picks, they've both appeared to be quality selections that will be cornerstones moving forward.
