Field Gulls
Witherspoon might not have had any interceptions last season, but his performances were extremely impactful against the pass and the run.
In his second season, Witherspoon reaffirmed his position as the heart and soul of the Seattle Seahawks secondary. With Mike Macdonald at the helm, he was a key player in transforming Seattle’s defensive style: aggressive, versatile, and physical.
If 2023 was Devon Witherspoon’s breakthrough in the NFL, 2024 was the confirmation that the first-round cornerback is not just a momentary playmaker — he is a central piece of a modern defense, with the ability to line up in different roles and impact the game in different ways. Last season, Witherspoon was used as an outside corner, slot and even rotational safety in disguised formations, which put his intelligence and technique on constant display.
In this text, we analyze the strengths and technical limitations of the number 21, and his performance in 2024.
Overall grade 76.1 — 20th among 222 CBs
Pass rush grade 78.3 — 14th best
Run defense grade 90.0 — 3rd best among CBs
Solo tackles 80 — 1st among CBs
Total pressures 8 — 6th among CBs
Run stops 39 — 1st among CBs
Witherspoon was top 10 among all NFL cornerbacks according to PFF, and led the Seahawks in defensive stops on third downs. His impact goes beyond statistics — he changes the behavior of opposing QBs.
With Mike Macdonald, Witherspoon was the defense’s wild card. Lined up:
His ability to disguise coverages and attack blitzes without compromising the system made him the most versatile defender in the unit.
Normally nickel blitzes come from the EDGE. Mike Macdonald calls a blitz with the Mug Front (two LBs in the A gaps) and this ends up putting the center against two players, the pressure comes and Sam Darnold basically throws the ball away.
He didn’t get impressive sack or interception numbers, but sometimes he created plays. That’s where the term “force multiplier” came from. On this play, if he can’t pressure Brock Purdy, he would probably have three targets behind the Seahawks defense. In a hurry, the QB couldn’t complete the pass.
His presence in the front of the defense was impressive:
Referred to by PFF as the CB with the most solo tackles (80), SI additionally highlighted that Spoon was the CB most present in run support, with an average tackle of 3.8% of snaps.
Spoon is a torment for blocking schemes. He is quick to try to escape from TEs and OLs and can be physical to tackle heavier RBs, like Javonte Williams in this play, in the open field in 1v1.
He quickly identifies the play, and goes to the backfield where he gets another tackle for loss.
Sometimes the price...
