The Seattle Seahawks were in an excellent position to help themselves in the 2023 NFL Draft with the No. 5 pick overall, and they used that selection to take cornerback Devon Witherspoon of Illinois, who was clearly an elite defensive player. Seattle general manager John Schneider said Witherspoon's skills, all-around play and athleticism seemed to make him the obvious pick as the draft process played out.

There was some speculation that the Seahawks would use that No. 5 pick on defensive tackle Jalen Carter of Georgia, one of the most dominant defensive linemen in college football. However, Carter was hurt by his involvement in a speeding incident that resulted in the death of a Georgia player and a Bulldog staff member shortly after the team won its second national championship. As a result, several teams — including the Seahawks — passed on Carter until the Philadelphia Eagles selected him with the No. 9 pick.

Schneider did not have anything negative to say about Carter, but he felt that Witherspoon was just a better fit for the team. He said that Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll compared Witherspoon to ex- Steeler Troy Polamalu, while Schneider said that Witherspoon's play was reminiscent of former Kansas City Chief Dale Carter.

Devon Witherspoon is a physical player who recorded 41 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss while playing for Illinois last year. He was one of the top cover men in the Big Ten, and he had 3 interceptions and 14 passes defensed while earning consensus All-American status for the Illini.

Witherspoon has the speed, skill and drive to make a significant contribution to the Seahawks defense in 2022.