RENTON, Wash. — Normally a quiet man, communication is such a key aspect of the job, from on-field communication to press conferences, that first-time head coach Mike McDonald has had to be more open than ever as his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks begins.
With OTAs starting this week in the VMAC and still fumbling around, Coach McDonald acknowledged that building trust with his new players is still a work in progress and there’s no magic wand that will instantly create “a mutual understanding of what kind of football team we want to be.” But before he could finish his response after practice Wednesday, a boisterous Devon Witherspoon decided to interject, grabbing a Gatorade on his way to the facility.
“Coach, let me know, let me know!” Witherspoon yelled enthusiastically.
McDonald drew laughter from the reporters, then broke into a big smile and said, “See, I know spoons!” before quickly reverting to a serious, businesslike demeanor to answer the next question.
Known for his understated, soft-spoken style, McDonald will not be mistaken for his predecessor, Pete Carroll, whose energy and exuberant personality permeated the Pacific Northwest every time Seattle took the field, but if there’s one thing the two coaches have in common, it’s their affinity for Witherspoon, which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the impact he’s already made in his short time with the franchise.
Witherspoon came to the Pacific Northwest with high expectations as the No. 5 overall pick, and he exceeded them all. After missing the season opener while recovering from a hamstring injury, he put together a historic performance while playing both outside cornerback and slot defender, becoming just the seventh player and only rookie since 1999 to record at least 14 pass breakups, three sacks and eight tackles for loss in a season.
From an advanced metrics standpoint, Witherspoon excelled in shutting down opposing receivers in both man and zone coverage. In man coverage, he allowed just seven catches on 15 targets, had three pass breakups and no touchdowns, and was eighth in forced incompletions, per Pro Football Focus. He was similarly dominant in zone, ranking in the top 15 in receiving yards allowed and pass breakups, as well as the top 10 in forced incompletions, according to Pro Football Focus.
Despite playing against one of the worst rush defenses in the NFL, the Seahawks would have been significantly worse without Witherspoon, who finished in the top 10 among cornerbacks in run stops, run stop percentage and solo tackles, while also adding five tackles for loss against the run.
Even more impressive is Witherspoon’s incredible efficiency as a blitzer has caused major problems for opposing teams all season, and his contributions have not been limited to just taking down the quarterback in the pocket: In 30 pass rushes, he generated 10 pressures, three sacks, and intercepted three passes, earning him an impressive pass-rush productivity rating of 22.4 from Pro Football Focus and posting a pressure rate of 33.3 percent.
Given his outstanding numbers as a rookie and how his well-rounded skillset, physicality and positional flexibility should make him a perfect fit for McDonald’s scheme, it’s no wonder the young coach seems to have a grin on his face every time he sees or speaks to the developing superstar.
“Where do I begin?” McDonald said when asked what he likes about Witherspoon’s game, pointing to his talents in the slot, in particular. “Great feel for the game, meaning he figures things out quickly, understands the ball and plays at a really good speed. There’s a lot of action in nickel, so when a guy has that skill set, he’s able to be as close to the action as possible. He does it all. Blitz, man, zone, plays deep down the field, it’s a fun position to play.”
Though he’s only 23, Witherspoon quickly showed a glimpse of what he could accomplish playing for McDonald. Playing primarily in the slot with cornerbacks Tre Brown and Rik Uhlen on the perimeter, Witherspoon had a pair of impressive interceptions on Wednesday’s practice, including a lightning-quick cut along the sideline on teammate Jackson Smith-Njiba’s out route that he incompletely knocked down.
Veteran safety Rayshawn Jenkins, who will be playing with Witherspoon for the first time since signing with the Seahawks in free agency, has been impressed with his new teammate’s play so far in OTAs, particularly noting his excellent ball-winning ability.
“He’s a really talented young player, even though he’s not that big. He plays with a lot of passion, and you can see that here. I was actually thinking about this today, his breakdowns on the ball are just top notch. Probably some of the best I’ve ever seen. I was just thinking about this today. I saw him break down a couple of passes and the receiver was a step or two ahead of him and his speed on the close was incredible. He gets to the ball quickly and undercuts the ball. I expect him to make a lot of plays, just like he did last season.”
Witherspoon will have to wait a while before he can deliver the bone-crunching hits he’s known for from his stellar career at Illinois, as no tackling or contact is allowed during offseason practice. But we could see him blitz off the edge a few times on Wednesday, and considering McDonald has a history of blitzing defensive backs, fans should expect to see him blitz a lot.
For example, last season McDonald deployed safety Kyle Hamilton as one of his primary pass-rush weapons. The former first-round draft pick out of Notre Dame generated 16 pressures on 37 blitz attempts, tying Witherspoon with three sacks and two blocked passes for a pressure rate of 37 percent.
While Witherspoon and Hamilton aren’t exactly the same, especially with their very different body types, they share a lot in common, including their aggressive playing styles and excellent pass-rush abilities. It’s no wonder Coach McDonald expects his new playmaker to play to his strengths most of the time and run wild on Sundays as one of the sport’s young stars.
It’s still only May, so time will tell how McDonald ultimately uses this new weapon, but if the start of the offseason program is any indication of Witherspoon’s bounce-around playing time, it might be prudent to anticipate how many smiles we’ll see on the sidelines this fall.
