Welcome to the seventh daily installment of the NFL Draft 1-through-32 series on DK Pittsburgh Sports, intended to introduce you, a prospect at a time, to the top 32 players in the class on a consensus basis, leading right up to the main event.
That, of course, will be April 27-29, in Kansas City, Mo., though all 32 teams, including the Steelers on the South Side, will operate from their local headquarters.
NO. 7: DEVON WITHERSPOON
Illinois cornerback
Witherspoon is the No. 7-rated player on Pro Football Focus' Big Board. Regarded as the top cornerback in his class, Witherspoon's play recognition, anticipation, ability to quickly diagnose a route, and his hard-hitting prowess have scouts' attention near the top of the board.
COLLEGE BACKGROUND
A consensus All-American, Jim Thorpe Award finalist (top DB in college football), and two-time All-Big Ten selection, Witherspoon did not allow a touchdown as quarterbacks completed just 34.9% of passes against him in the 2022 season. He added in some downhill play-making ability with 40 total tackles, 2.5 for loss with three interceptions and 14 pass breakups. His 17 passes defended checked in at eighth in Football Bowl Subdivision.
The analytics buffs surely know who Witherspoon is. He earned PFF's No. 1 cover grade (92.5), was PFF's top FBS cornerback (92.0), was second overall in NFL passer rating against in the nation and No. 1 against Power Five programs with a 25.0 rating, and was the No. 6 graded defender in the nation and No. 2 among Power Five teams (92.5).
He did all of this while playing the second-most man coverage snaps in the nation, per PFF, at 560. He recorded 1.5 tackles for loss and broke up two passes in Illinois' loss to No. 3 Michigan in 2022.
If you're wondering how Witherspoon slipped through the cracks and ended up at Illinois, he is the ultimate case of making the most of his opportunity in college. He did not receive a star rating out of high school in Pensacola, Fla., and committed to Illinois among 10 offers, with the Fighting Illini being his lone Power Five offer. He measured at 6-foot, 160 pounds out of high school.
Pitt fans would appreciate this one: Witherspoon told NBC Sports he models his game after Darrelle Revis.
NFL COMBINE, PRO DAY
Measuring at just below 6-feet and at 181 pounds at the NFL Combine, Witherspoon earned a prospect grade of 6.43, or "will become a good starter within two years," and his NFL Next Gen Stats grade of 84 checked at seventh among Combine CBs.
Witherspoon did not participate in drills at the Combine, nor did he participate in Illinois' pro day March 10. He is holding a personal workout for scouts Wednesday.
MOCK DRAFT
The USA Today mock draft consensus tracker has Witherspoon going at No. 11 overall to Tennessee, with an average draft slotting at 13.5. Our latest mock draft has Witherspoon going to Las Vegas at No. 7 overall.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE STEELERS' STANDPOINT
Interestingly, the player which NFL analyst Lance Zierlein compared Witherspoon to, after the Combine, is Steelers cornerback Levi Wallace.
After signing Patrick Peterson and Keanu Neal and re-upping on Damontae Kazee and James Pierre this offseason, it at least seems less likely the Steelers would go with a defensive back at 17th overall. If they really want Witherspoon as their guy, they might have to trade up for him, which might seem even more less likely given the returning depth at the position.
COREY'S TAKE
One of the more fascinating (battles? headlines?) of the first round of the draft will be whether Witherspoon or Oregon's Christian Gonzalez comes off the board as the top cornerback. Witherspoon seems like the safest option of the two, but Gonzalez possesses an elite level of athleticism. The technician of the two is Witherspoon, though his best fit might be somewhere which runs a more zone-oriented scheme, whereas Gonzalez might fit best in a defense which runs more man-to-man.
You can find all of our 1-through-32 preview stories HERE.
