Welcome to SKOL Search!
This series will be your guide to the 2023 draft class. From scouting reports to mock drafts and exploring different scenarios, we will be covering the NFL draft and the future of the Minnesota Vikings from all angles.
The focus of the draft class in this space will be on the Vikings’ major needs at wide receiver, running back, cornerback and both interior and edge pass rusher.
The Vikings are slated to have four picks before compensatory selections are awarded and they need to make the most out of them.
Background
Devon Witherspoon
- Illinois
- Height-6’0″
- Weight-170 lbs
- Fourth-year senior
- 0-Star recruit per 247 Sports
- Stats: 157 tackles, 115 solo, 11.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, 5 interceptions, 25 passes defended, 1 forced fumble
- Games watched: Wyoming 2022, Nebraska 2022, Michigan 2022, Minnesota 2022
Strengths
First thing that jumps out is explosiveness. He has an extremely quick trigger in both reacting and accelerating. Extremely fluid mover helps accentuate his ball skills. His athleticism had Illinois playing him as the field corner often, meaning he had more space to cover. Illinois had confidence in Witherspoon to play everywhere.
Witherspoon stays in phase really well and has nice route recognition skills. Defenders don’t maneuver around Witherspoon with nuanced tricks easily.
Witherspoon is a very physical player. He packs a powerful punch in the open field and in press coverage. It also helps him in terms of ball skills. Witherspoon bursts through the receiver to attack the football.
Witherspoon plays mostly off coverage using multiple techniques. Excels best with a standard backpedal and, as Coach O’Ryan says in D3 The Mighty Ducks, letting the receiver make the first move.
Capable in both run coverage and as a blitzer. Has 11.5 career tackles for loss, including 8.0 in 2021.
Weaknesses
When Witherspoon initiates contact, he wins more often than not but you can knock him off his block with a lowered shoulder.
His aggression can be his biggest downfall. Can overrun plays due to that aggressive nature. There will be a path to beat him with misdirection and double moves. He does play press on occasion, but there aren’t a lot of instances of him jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage. His aggressiveness and physicality should translate here, but I would have liked to see it more on film.
Getting Witherspoon in motion and on the move looks to be key to stopping him. It evokes his worst instincts of aggression.
Overview
| Man | 8.6/10 |
| Zone | 8.4/10 |
| Hips/Fluidity | 8.5/10 |
| Recognition | 13.8/15 |
| Quickness | 8.9/10 |
| Run Support | 8.2/10 |
| Speed | 8.5/10 |
| Recovery | 8.6/10 |
| Tackling | 4.2/5 |
| Ball Skills | 9.1/10 |
| Grade | 86.8/100 First Round |
This is the prototype of a first round cornerback. Consistent across the board with the ability to make plays with his aggressive nature. That could hurt him early on until he fully harnesses that ability, but that will come with time.
He would fit really well with the Vikings, especially in zone where he can play off and read what is happening in front of him. Witherspoon is a very popular player right now and likely won’t fall to the end of the first round.
