Illinois Football: Devon Witherspoon could hit paydirt after big Illini season

Illinois football had a pretty special defense in 2022, and it was led by one of the best players in program history.

I can’t tell you the last time I saw this good of an Illini defense. The 2022 unit finished in the top 10 nationally in quite a few statistical categories. We were No. 2 in the country in points allowed, No. 9 in the nation in passing yards allowed, and No. 1 in all of college football in opponent passer rating. Those are just a few impressive stats where Illinois finished in the top 10.

A big reason for the Illini seeing huge success on defense is the fact we had one of the best players in program history in the secondary. Devon Witherspoon was a black hole at cornerback for opposing offenses.

Witherspoon’s great 2022 campaign didn’t go unnoticed, though. On Thursday, he was officially named an All-American but not just any All-American. He was named a consensus All-American. Witherspoon is just the 21st consensus All-American in the history of the Illinois football program, and he is the first since Whitney Mercilus in 2011.

Devon Witherspoon is about to cash in after a great season with the Illinois football program.

The season Witherspoon just had for the Illini was one for the ages. He would end up with 42 tackles, 14 pass deflections, and three interceptions while leading Illinois to one of the best pass defenses in the country.

In addition to Witherspoon’s great numbers, Pro Football Focus has him as one of the highest-graded cornerbacks in college football. He has a defensive rating of 91.6, which ranks No. 2 in the country. Witherspoon’s coverage rating is at 92.0, which is also ranked No. 2 among all cornerbacks in the nation.

With the impressive season and the great numbers Witherspoon just put up, this has him squarely on the radar of NFL teams for the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.

In the most recent PFF top draft prospects list, Witherspoon ranks as the No. 65 overall player for the 2023 NFL Draft, CBS Sports has him as the No. 35 overall prospect, and ESPN has Witherspoon as the No. 31 overall prospect.

What these rankings tell me is that Witherspoon is about to cash in after his great season with the Illini. He plays a crucial position in the NFL at cornerback, and this will help him rise in the NFL Draft. At worst, Witherspoon gets picked in the third round in 2023. I think there is a legit shot he moves up and is, potentially, a first-round NFL Draft pick.

If Witherspoon can sneak into the first round, he is looking at around eight figures. The No. 32 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Lewis Cine, signed a deal that was worth a total of $11,494,150. If Witherspoon is picked in the first half of the second round, he is looking at something between $7 million and $9.5 million for his first deal. If he goes in the back half of the second round, he is looking at $6 million-$7 million. And if Witherspoon goes in the third round, his first deal will likely be somewhere in the $5 million range.

I’m excited to see where Witherspoon goes in the 2023 NFL Draft. He has all of the ability in the world, and he displayed that this season. This kid has such a bright future.