NFL insider Jordan Schultz may have summed it up best during the Super Bowl, calling Witherspoon a “menace” and praising how he navigated traffic to get the sack in the first quarter of the game.
The Pensacola, Florida-born cornerback is a 6-foot-tall, 185-pound presence who starred at Pine Forest High School, earning the 2018 PNJ Defensive Player of the Year after 74 tackles and seven interceptions, including two pick-sixes. Early reporting noted his potential to draw a Power 5 offer, a step toward the college career that followed.
At Illinois, Witherspoon became the program’s only true freshman defensive starter in 2019 and finished his college career as a consensus All-American and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. NFL draft analysts praised his anticipation, route sense, and aggressive tackling, projecting him as a potential starting corner with strong ball skills.
The Seahawks selected Witherspoon No. 5 overall in the 2023 draft as part of the package that sent Russell Wilson to Denver, and he immediately became a Day 1 starter. He made a Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons and earned his first All-Pro honor in 2025, signaling his rapid rise within the league.
With extension eligibility after this season, a sizable contract extension seems likely. Spotrac projects a deal around three years for roughly $70 million, though executives and agents around the league think a four-year, $100 million pact could be on the table if Witherspoon continues to ascend.
