With the first pick in the POD Community Mock Draft, the Detroit Lions continue to overhaul their second division.
Our 2023 Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft is underway and over the next four weeks, Pride of Detroit Community members/commentators will make a selection for each selection in the first two rounds. I have the privilege of representing the Detroit Lions and will hit both #6 and #18 picks for them.
So far we’ve seen five picks come off the board:
No. 1: Carolina Panthers, Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
No. 2: Houston Texans, CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State
#3: Arizona Cardinals, Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
No. 4: Indianapolis Colts, Anthony Richardson, QB, Fla
#5: Seattle Seahawks, Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama
And that brings us to the Lions in 6th overall.
As we outlined in our last poll, Lions could go a few different ways with the election, and the five options we wanted readers to vote on included:
QB Will Levis, Kentucky
OL Peter Skoronski, Northwest
EDGE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
As is tradition, I made my selections before the vote so as not to be influenced by the poll results, and as it turned out, my choice did not square with readers’ opinion that I should vote for Wilson. Instead I went with…
Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
Brad Holmes, general manager of the Lions, has found success in the NFL Draft by finding players who not only match the coaching staff’s style preferences, but also possess the ideal mix of personality and mentality.
There’s no better example of that in this draft class than Witherspoon and coach Dan Campbell/defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
Witherspoon checks in at just under 6-foot-0 and 181 pounds, but he plays much taller than his height and has the frame to make it in the NFL — which looks similar to Glenn, who was a three-time All-Pro at 5. foot-9, 183 pounds.
One of the cleaner prospects in this draft class, Witherspoon possesses a rare combination of multiple elite traits that make him a potential next-level CB1. His confidence is paramount, his instincts and processing skills are among the best I’ve seen at the cornerback position, and he sets the tone with his play and demeanor on defense.
Witherspoon is a highly experienced cornerback with 2,334 career snaps on defense, and last season he was among the highest-rated cornerbacks in college football.
According to PFF, Witherspoon ended the 2022 season with a 92.5 coverage degree (the highest degree under corners), allowing for just 22 completions on 63 passes thrown, a tiny 34.9% completion rate and a 25 passer rating, 3 for quarterbacks equates to . He didn’t concede a touchdown and secured three interceptions and 14 pass breakups, demonstrating his elite ball skills. No corner in this draft class has played more man coverage this season than Witherspoon: “In 107 snaps in press coverage last season, the junior allowed a one-yard total.”
One. Court.
Press people’s reporting skills are a requirement of Glenn’s plan and Witherspoon’s nervous abilities are tailor-made. While Witherspoon probably doesn’t boast a sub-4.4 speed like some of the other curves in this draft class, he still has plenty of speed and can live in the waistpack of recipients. His ability to gently open his hips, stay in phase, and carry receivers vertically illustrated his ability to flip all types of receivers. His technique is solid and while he can get a little too handy at times (six penalties in 2022), his natural instinct is to play his way through the receiver’s hands, resulting in double-digit abandoned passes. When the ball is in the air his eyes are on the football and his competitiveness puts him in a position to consistently win the 50/50 ball.
But Witherspoon isn’t limited to just being a reporting corner for press people. His off-ball skills are tremendous, giving him the range to cover both high and low areas of the field. His ability to drop into a zone, sniff out game design, and then click and close the ball are some of his best qualities. Witherspoon can also move across the field to take cover. At Illinois he had an 85/15% split between playing on the outside and the slot.
Plus coverage attributes aside, Witherspoon’s ability to contribute as a running defender is sure to have Lions coaches drooling. With a feisty playstyle that excels in controlled aggression, Witherspoon is a devastating forward whose instincts show up in every game:
While Witherspoon will get you on the edge of your seat when inflating games, his technique and physicality when assisting running are beautiful to behold. His ability to see the game developing, keep blocks clean, and read and drive on the ball carrier routinely leads to games like this:
The Lions have invested heavily in upgrading their secondary school this offseason, and while Cameron Sutton and CJ Gardner-Johnson appear destined to play roles on the outside and on court, respectively, the opposite spot in the outside corner is getting a wide be open competition. Returning starters Jeff Okudah and Jerry Jacobs will fight with Emmanuel Mosley (who is recovering from an ACL injury) as a free agent, but there’s no clear front-runner for the role. If the Lions acquired Witherspoon, the level of competition would increase even further.
While Witherspoon hasn’t won a starting role, he has experience with kick coverage units in college and could find a starting role there while continuing to compete for playing time on defense.
Additionally, the Lions have an insidious long-term need for the position. Gardner-Johnson, Okudah and Moseley are in the last year of their contracts and Jacobs is set to become a restricted free agent, meaning it’s possible none of them will return to the Lions in 2024, so adding a talent like Witherspoon would be a big deal that give Lions security at the position.
Time to evaluate the choices.
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