2027 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker
NFL teams have until May 1 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2023 first-rounders. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of performance- and usage-based benchmarks:
- Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternates) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag
- One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag
- Players who achieve any of the following will receive the average of the third-20th top salaries at their position:
- At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
- A 75% snap average across all three seasons
- At least 50% in each of first three seasons
- Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position
PFR’s Offseason Outlook series examined each of these decisions in-depth, and weeks remain until this year’s deadline. In the meantime, we will use the space below to track all the 2027 option decisions from around the league:
- QB Bryce Young, Panthers ($25.9MM): To be exercised
- QB C.J. Stroud, Texans ($25.9MM): Exercised
- DE Will Anderson Jr., Texans ($21.51MM): Exercised
- QB Anthony Richardson, Colts ($22.48MM)
- CB Devon Witherspoon, Seahawks ($21.16MM): Exercised
- LT Paris Johnson Jr., Cardinals ($19.07MM): Exercised
- DE Tyree Wilson, Raiders ($14.48MM)
- RB Bijan Robinson, Falcons ($11.32MM): Exercised
- DT Jalen Carter, Eagles ($27.13MM)
- RT Darnell Wright, Bears ($19.07MM): Exercised
- G Peter Skoronski, Titans ($19.07MM): To be exercised
- RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions ($14.29MM)
- DE Lukas Van Ness, Packers ($13.75MM)
- LT Broderick Jones, Steelers ($19.07MM): To be declined
- DE Will McDonald, Jets ($13.75MM): To be exercised
- CB Emmanuel Forbes, Rams ($12.63MM)
- CB Christian Gonzalez, Patriots ($18.12MM): Exercised
- LB Jack Campbell, Lions ($21.93MM)
- DL Calijah Kancey, Buccaneers ($14.48MM)
- WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks ($23.85MM): Exercised
- WR Quentin Johnston, Chargers ($18MM)
- WR Zay Flowers, Ravens ($27.3MM): Exercised
- WR Jordan Addison, Vikings ($18MM): To be exercised
- CB Deonte Banks, Giants ($12.63MM)
- TE Dalton Kincaid, Bills ($8.16MM): Exercised
- DT Mazi Smith, Jets ($13.93MM)
- RT Anton Harrison, Jaguars ($19.07MM): Exercised
- DE Myles Murphy, Bengals ($14.48MM)
- DT Bryan Bresee, Saints ($13.93MM): Exercised
- DE Nolan Smith, Eagles ($13.75MM)
- DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Chiefs ($13.75MM)
Seahawks Likely To Extend Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Devon Witherspoon This Offseason
To no surprise, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon each had their fifth-year options exercised by the Seahawks recently. That ensures both stalwarts will remain in place through 2027. 
Seattle is able to work out an extension in each case this offseason, however. Working out an agreement for Smith-Njigba and Witherspoon at some point before the start of the 2026 campaign would fall in line with previous Seahawks timelines. Per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic, an agreement on both fronts can be expected this spring or summer.
Smith-Njigba will collect $23.85MM in 2027, while Witherspoon is due $21.16MM for that year. Both multi-time Pro Bowlers are no doubt in line to secure more lucrative paydays when their second contracts are finalized. As Dugar notes, extensions at or near the top of the receiver and cornerback markets are likely forthcoming. Smith-Njigba secured Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Pro honors for 2025, a season in which he led the NFL in receiving yards and set new career highs in several categories.
The 24-year-old has seen his receiving totals, yards per catch average and touchdown figures increase with each passing year in the NFL. That, coupled with Smith-Njigba’s durability – no missed games to date – makes him a strong candidate to challenge the top of the WR market. Ja’Marr Chase is attached to a deal averaging $40.24MM per year. His 2025 Bengals extension contained $73.9MM in full guarantees, a figure surpassed only by Justin Jefferson ($88.74MM) at the position. With the salary cap surpassing $300MM, Smith-Njigba will aim to match or outpace Chase and Jefferson’s pacts during negotiations.
Witherspoon, 25, already has three Pro Bowl invites on his resume. The Illinois product was a second-team All-Pro in 2025, and he was a key part of Seattle’s elite defense which carried the team to a Super Bowl title. Expectations will remain high in his case for years to come, and after seeing multiple free agent departures in the secondary the Seahawks could ensure stability with a long-term agreement. Witherspoon is likely to join the nine cornerbacks whose contracts average $20.1MM or more per year. Draft classmate Christian Gonzalez is eligible for a Patriots extension, and he could be a comparable figure in Witherspoon’s case.
Dugar writes nothing is imminent at this point with respect to a Smith-Njigba or Witherspoon extension. That could very well remain the case until after the draft at a minimum. As training camp and the 2026 season approach, though, it will be interesting to see if contract talks pick up.
Seahawks Exercise Fifth-Year Options for WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, CB Devon Witherspoon
The Seahawks knocked it out of the park on the first night of the 2023 NFL Draft, taking Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon with the fifth overall pick of the draft and adding Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba 15 picks later. Both players were huge contributors in the team’s 2025 Super Bowl-winning season, and while extensions continue to be worked towards, Seattle has officially announced its decision to exercise the fifth-year options on both players’ rookie contracts. 
Witherspoon established himself as an immediate star as a rookie, starting 13 of 14 game appearances and logging 16 passes defensed, a 97-yard pick six, and three sacks en route to the first of three straight Pro Bowl seasons. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded Witherspoon as the sixth-best cornerback in the NFL. Starting all 17 games in Year 2, PFF’s 16th-best cornerback that season finished second on the team with 98 total tackles, adding on a sack, six tackles for loss, and nine passes defensed. This year, five missed games near the start of the year led to decreased stat total, but Witherspoon’s excellence when he got back on the field was apparent as he earned second-team All-Pro honors and graded out as PFF’s best cornerback in the NFL.
Smith-Njigba didn’t start nearly as hot as Witherspoon, but he’s taken major leaps in each new season. Playing in every game his rookie year, Smith-Njigba only made three starts and finished behind D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in all three receiving categories with 63 receptions, 628 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns. Playing in every game of Year 2, as well, Smith-Njigba established himself as the new WR1 in Seattle, surpassing Metcalf and Lockett with 100 receptions for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl honors. Benefitting from the departures of Metcalf and Lockett and the arrival of Sam Darnold, Smith-Njigba once again led the team in all three categories with 119 catches for a league-leading 1,793 receiving yards and ten touchdowns, securing Pro Bowl, first-team All-Pro, and Offensive Player of the Year honors.
In the days since the season ended with confetti in San Francisco and parade buses in Seattle, the Seahawks have begun the work of attempting to extend Smith-Njigba. The 2025 OPOY disclosed recently that he does believe he deserves “to be the highest paid” wide receiver in the NFL, but at this exact moment, with two years now remaining on his deal, he was “not too pressed” to work out an extended deal. We haven’t seen the same reports concerning Witherspoon, but that surely doesn’t mean the Seahawks won’t be doing everything they can to land both big fish on huge, long-term deals.
According to Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic, the value of Smith-Njigba’s fifth-year option is projected to be about $23.8MM while Witherpoon’s projects around $21.1MM. Witherspoon’s fifth-year option was inflated to its maximum possible value due to the pair of Pro Bowls he made in his first two seasons. With the top of the receiver market currently set at $40.25MM per year and the cornerback market topping out at $31MM per year, the Seahawks are likely content with those fifth-year figures. There’s a chance neither player sees those options, though, as Seattle will likely continue to push for extensions in the months to come.
NFL Injury Updates: Penning, Thomas, Seahawks, MNF
The Saints have been dealing with multiple injuries on the offensive line this week. In his first season with the team, guard Dillon Radunz has been spot starting in place of presumed starting guard Trevor Penning, who has been dealing with a turf toe injury since the preseason.
Per Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football, Radunz has been ruled out as he deals with a toe injury of his own. Penning, though, may be available to retake a starting spot. The fourth-year lineman hasn’t played yet in 2025, but he returned to practice on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell.
Formerly the Saints’ starting right tackle, Penning was expected to shift into a starting role on the inside as first-round Texas rookie Kelvin Banks took the starting left tackle job, pushing last year’s first-round rookie left tackle, Taliese Fuaga, to the right side of the line. Penning was a limited participant for the rest of the week of practice, and he’s listed as questionable, but with Radunz out, Penning may be challenged to make his season debut.
Fuaga is also listed as questionable, despite not practicing at all this week as he deals with knee and back issues. Joining Radunz with an out designation is defensive end Chase Young, who like Penning, has not played yet this year.
Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:
- Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas has yet to play in 2025 as he works his way back from a Lisfranc injury from 2024. The veteran lineman is listed as questionable this week and has been rumored as likely to play. He may be able to do so without fully coming back. Per Ryan Dunleavy of New York Post Sports, Thomas hasn’t “ruled out that he could play in a rotation as he works his way back” with a focus on longevity. The team will see how he feels today before making a final decision on his status for tomorrow, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, but the idea of using a rotation to ease him in is seemingly gaining popularity.
- The Seahawks sustained injuries over the last week to running back Zach Charbonnet, cornerback Devon Witherspoon, and safety Julian Love. There was worry that each player could be out for an extended period of time, but The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar reports that none of the three are being considered for stints on injured reserve. All three, though, are doubtful to play in Week 3.
- After tight end Isaiah Likely suffered a foot injury in training camp, the Ravens opted not to place him on any injured lists to avoid a guaranteed four-week absence. The 25-year-old returned to practice this week but won’t be active to play on Monday. They’ll likely aim to have him back in time Week 4. Joining Likely as a scratch this week will be defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Madubuike is dealing with a neck injury, and the team is evaluating some symptoms they’ve seen throughout the week to be safe. Sixth-round rookie Aeneas Peebles is likely to get some increased run this week as a result.
- As for the other Monday Night Football team, the Lions will be without pass rusher Marcus Davenport for their trip to Baltimore, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Davenport declined to give any details about the nature of his injury, but his arm has been seen in a sling. Whatever the situation, head coach Dan Campbell does not see the situation as season-ending.
NFL DB Injury Updates: Seahawks, Steelers, Gonzalez, Bland, Johnson
Seahawks are nursing a banged-up secondary heading into Week 2 and will likely be without starting cornerback Devon Witherspoon and first-round safety Nick Emmanwori.
Witherspoon played every snap in Week 1 but didn’t practice this week due to a knee injury. He’s listed as doubtful on Seattle’s injury report and seems very unlikely to take the field. The injury is not thought to be serious, said head coach Mike Macdonald (via Michael Shawn-Dugar of The Athletic).
Emmanwori only played four snaps in his NFL debut before going down with a high ankle sprain. He didn’t participate this week, either, and was ruled out for Sunday’s game. Macdonald added that Emmanwori will avoid injured reserve for right now after mentioning the possibility earlier in the week, per Shawn-Dugar.
Witherspoon’s absence this weekend will force another Seahawks defender to step up in the slot, a decision that will be further complicated with Emmanwori sidelined. He could have been another option at nickel or lined up at safety with Julian Love in the slot; instead, Seattle will have to flip an outside cornerback into the slot or put inexperienced third-year safety Ty Okada on the field.
Here are some other secondary injury updates from around the NFL:
- Seattle will also be facing a depleted secondary on Sunday with Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (hamstring) joining DeShon Elliott (knee) on the sidelines, per Seahawks team reporter John Boyle. First-round defensive tackle Derrick Harmon will also have to wait another week before his NFL debut as he recovers from a knee injury.
- Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones confirmed (via All City DLLS’ Clarence Hill) that cornerback DaRon Bland would miss two to three weeks with a foot sprain. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer added that an IR placement is not expected at this time, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.
- Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez was ruled out for a second week in a row, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The 2023 first-round pick still hasn’t returned to practice since July 28 due to a hamstring injury.
- The Bears will get cornerback Jaylon Johnson back in Week 2 as he finished the week without an injury designation for Sunday’s game against the Lions.
Looking At Pro Bowl Rosters’ Impact On Fifth-Year Option Statuses
The NFL unveiled the Pro Bowl rosters Thursday. While superstars and veterans tied to big-ticket contracts headline the AFC and NFC squads, rookie-contract players are part of both sides for an event no longer featuring an actual all-star game.
While the Pro Bowl’s prestige peak occurred decades ago, the 2020 CBA still ties invites to players’ value. Players selected to the Pro Bowl on the original ballot (non-alternates) will see their fifth-year option prices change. The 2025 offseason will be the fifth year in which players will see their option values determined partially by Pro Bowl recognition, but Thursday’s results will impact the 2026 and 2027 fifth-year option outcomes as well.
Players who receive two Pro Bowl invites during their first three seasons skyrocket to the top of the four-tiered fifth-year option hierarchy, which will feature a value that matches the amount of that year’s franchise tag at each position. Players who draw one original-ballot invite during their first three seasons will be tied to the second option tier, which matches the transition tag value at that position.
This only applies to former first-round picks, as no other rookie contracts include a fifth-year option. With that in mind, here are the players from the 2022, ’23 and ’24 first rounds to be invited to the Pro Bowl. Here are the ex-first-rounders who changed their option statuses this week:
2022 draft:
- S Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens
- C Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens
- G Tyler Smith, Dallas Cowboys
- CB Derek Stingley, Houston Texans
Baltimore’s two-first-rounder 2022 draft, made possible thanks to the Marquise Brown trade, produced two Pro Bowlers. This marks the second Pro Bowl for both Hamilton and Linderbaum, bringing both players to the top fifth-year option tier. For Linderbaum, that will inflate his price to that of the offensive line franchise tag number, since all O-lineman are grouped together under this formula. That will make a fifth-year option call trickier for the Ravens, who will certainly pick up Hamilton’s by the May deadline.
This is Stingley’s first Pro Bowl, which will push the former No. 3 overall pick’s 2026 option price into the second tier among corners. Patrick Surtain‘s four-year, $96MM extension raised the bar at the position this summer, and the Texans will be able to negotiate with their top corner beginning later this month. This is Smith’s first Pro Bowl nod as well; he was named an alternate to the 2023 event.
2023 draft:
- DT Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles
- WR Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens
- RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
- CB Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks
While Thursday’s announcement crystalized the value of the 2022 first-rounders with regards to the fifth-year option, the ’23 Round 1 crop still has more time. Witherspoon has landed in the Pro Bowl a second time, locking the former No. 5 overall pick into the top echelon of the CB option structure.
Conversely, this is the first original-ballot Pro Bowl for Carter, Flowers and Gibbs. The Lions running back was an alternate last season. The trio’s 2025 showings will determine if they can join Witherspoon on the highest level of the 2026 option hierarchy.
2024 draft:
- TE Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
- QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
- OLB Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams
The NFL’s top rookies have begun to raise their values. Although the Commanders, Raiders and Rams do not have to make option calls on this trio until May 2027, each player has already secured at least second-tier status for when that time comes. They are unlikely to stay on that level. Daniels is on track to claim Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, while Bowers has already broken Mike Ditka‘s longstanding record for tight end yardage by a rookie. Verse, the first Rams first-round pick since Jared Goff, is on track for Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim.
Notable 2024 Pro Bowl Incentives
The NFL released the AFC and NFC Pro Bowl rosters last night. While the annual All-Star event has lost some of its luster (and is eyeing a significant revamping in 2024), a Pro Bowl selection is still a significant accomplishment for many players…especially from a financial standpoint.
There were a number of Pro Bowlers whose selections were tied to contract incentives. We’ve collected some of the notable Pro Bowl incentives below:
- OT Terron Armstead, Dolphins: $650K (via Joel Corry of CBS Sports)
- S Budda Baker, Cardinals: $500K (via Corry)
- P AJ Cole, Raiders: $100K (via Corry)
- WR Tyreek Hill, Dolphins: $250K (via Corry)
- FB Alec Ingold, Dolphins: $500K (via Corry)
- LB Bobby Wagner, Seahawks: $750K (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson)
Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick didn’t have a traditional Pro Bowl incentive, but his selection will still result in more money. Per Corry, Reddick’s 2024 base salary will increase by $500K (from $13.75MM to $14.25MM) thanks to the Pro Bowl selection.
A handful of former first-round picks also boosted the value of their fifth-year options by earning their first Pro Bowl nod (via Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus): Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Ravens offensive lineman Tyler Linderbaum, Lions offensive lineman Penei Sewell, and Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner and Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain boosted the value of their fifth-round option to the maximum amount with a second Pro Bowl selection.
Beyond incentives, players also get some cash for just participating in the Pro Bowl event. As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports writes, players on the winning team will earn $88K, while players on the losing team will get $44K. This even applies to Pro Bowl players who can’t participate since they’re playing in the Super Bowl.
Seahawks Place RT Abraham Lucas On IR; CB Devon Witherspoon Expected To Play In Week 2
SEPTEMBER 15: As expected, the Seahawks will be without both starting tackles on Sunday. Carroll confirmed that Cross will be out for Week 2 while he recovers from a toe injury. He added, encouragingly, that the blindside blocker made progress in his recovery during the week, meaning he might be available come Week 3. With Peters not ready to play so soon after signing, though, Seattle will be notably shorthanded along the O-line for the time being.
Lucas underwent knee surgery this week, Carroll said. It is not known if the second-year tackle will be back when first eligible (Week 6). Forsythe and Curham will start at tackle Sunday, per the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta.
SEPTEMBER 13: As the Jason Peters signing foreshadowed, the Seahawks will be shorthanded at offensive tackle for a stretch. The team announced on Wednesday that Abraham Lucas has been placed on injured reserve. 
As a result of the move, Seattle’s right tackle starter will be sidelined for at least the next four weeks. Lucas, part of the team’s highly impactful 2022 draft class, was a first-teamer right away as a rookie. He partnered with first-round selection Charles Cross to give the team a young tackle tandem with the potential to give the offense a consistent presence up front for both the short- and long-term.
Like Lucas, Cross is banged up following the Seahawks’ Week 1 loss. His status moving forward is also in question, so it comes as no surprise that the team added tackle depth in the expected absence of both its left and right tackle starters. Seattle signed Raiqwon O’Neal off the Buccaneers’ practice squad, and added McClendon Curtis from the Raiders’ taxi squad. Both players are undrafted rookies, so they have less experience than incumbents Stone Forsythe and Jake Curhan. The latter two, likewise, have far less service time than Peters.
Having not taken part in spring workouts or training camp, Peters’ most recent team practices came during his time with the Cowboys last season. The 41-year-old would thus be a longshot to suit up on Sunday, as head coach Pete Carroll noted (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson). Cross being unable to play, coupled with the timeline of Peters’ ramp-up period, would leave the Seahawks particularly thin up front for Week 2.
In more positive injury news, Carroll said earlier this week that first-round corner Devon Witherspoon will be a full participant in practice in the build-up to his NFL debut, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Taken with the No. 5 pick in April’s draft, Witherspoon was held out of Week 1 with a hamstring injury but playing him on Sunday will give Seattle’s secondary a notable boost when they look to rebound from their season-opening defeat to the Rams.
Jamal Adams To Miss Regular-Season Time
Jamal Adams is off the Seahawks’ PUP list, pointing to an early-season return. But that will not come to pass in Week 1. Pete Carroll ruled out the former All-Pro for Seattle’s opener.
The former top-10 pick is on the homestretch of a recovery from a torn quadriceps tendon sustained in the Seahawks’ 2022 season opener. Generally optimistic on the injury front, Carroll said the Seahawks would give the former big-ticket trade acquisition more time. The 14th-year Seattle HC said during a KJR interview Adams could be sidelined multiple games.
On-field preparations for the Seahawks’ opener against the Rams did not include Adams, who is going into his age-28 season. Adams has only participated in walkthroughs since being activated off the active/PUP list on August 24. The former Jets standout has missed 25 games as a Seahawk. The team added insurance, in the form of Julian Love, at the position in free agency. Love joins Adams and Quandre Diggs in comprising the NFL’s most expensive set of safeties.
The Seahawks are hoping to use Adams more near the line of scrimmage, his specialty, while Diggs and Love operate in more traditional safety roles. The team has Diggs tied to a three-year, $39MM accord; Love signed a two-year, $12MM deal in March. Adams’ record-setting deal ($17.5MM AAV) still sits third at the position, two years after it was finalized. The Seahawks have $40.9MM allocated to their safety position on their 2023 cap sheet. No other team’s number crosses $25MM at this position.
Giving up two first-round picks and a 2021 third-rounder in the 2020 Adams swap, the Seahawks have ended up on the losing end of this deal. The Jets used the first-rounders on Alijah Vera-Tucker (via trade-up) and Garrett Wilson. The Seahawks would be hit with $9MM-plus in dead money by designating Adams as a post-June 1 cut in 2024; Adams’ $18.1MM cap hold tops the team’s 2023 payroll. For now, the team will hope to see the seventh-year veteran recapture old form.
Additionally, Carroll said first-round pick Devon Witherspoon is unlikely to begin the season on time, per the Tacoma News-Tribune’s Gregg Bell. The No. 5 overall pick is nursing a hamstring injury. While Carroll ruled out Adams for the opener, he stopped short of confirming the rookie cornerback would be sidelined. Witherspoon is by far the highest corner draftee of the Carroll-John Schneider era. The team had previously never used a first- or second-round pick on that position.
Seahawks Sign Round 1 CB Devon Witherspoon, Wrap Draft Class Deals
This rookie class did produce a negotiation that led to a high-profile draftee missing part of training camp, but the Seahawks are ending that brief chapter Friday. No. 5 overall pick Devon Witherspoon agreed to terms with the team on his four-year rookie deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
With Witherspoon under contract on a deal worth $31.86MM fully guaranteed and containing a fifth-year option, all 2023 draftees are now signed. The payment schedule of the cornerback’s $20.2MM signing bonus served as the final hurdle for the sides to clear, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com tweets.
The three quarterbacks drafted ahead of Witherspoon — Bryce Young (No. 1), C.J. Stroud (No. 2) and Anthony Richardson (No. 4) — received 100% of their bonuses paid up front, per Henderson, who adds Will Anderson Jr. received 85% of his bonus upfront (Twitter link). Last year’s Seahawks first-rounder — No. 9 overall pick Charles Cross — received 75% of his signing bonus paid in the first six weeks, Henderson tweets, providing a glimpse into how the Seahawks prefer to structure their first-rounders’ deals.
With this minor issue in the rearview mirror, the Seahawks can get to work on deploying their top pick. The team deviated from a long-running strategy of not using high draft choices on corners. Under the Pete Carroll–John Schneider regime, Seattle had not used a first- or second-round pick on this position. Other than Richard Sherman‘s 2014 extension, the team had also generally avoided big payments here as well. Despite Carroll believed to be on board with a high-risk Jalen Carter bet, the Seahawks chose the Illinois corner, whom the Lions were eyeing at No. 6.
A four-year contributor for the Fighting Illini, Witherspoon showed off his defensive ability in 2021 when he finished with nine pass breakups. He replicated that success with 14 PBUs (in addition to three interceptions and 41 tackles) this past year. The 5-foot-11 corner parlayed that success into becoming this year’s first corner chosen. The Seahawks, who moved into the Witherspoon draft slot via their 2022 Russell Wilson trade with the Broncos, will pair the rookie with 2022 rookie standout Tariq Woolen.
Here is Seattle’s 2023 draft class:
Round 1, No. 5 (from Broncos): Devon Witherspoon, CB (Illinois) (signed)
Round 1, No. 20: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 2, No. 37 (from Broncos): Derick Hall, DE (Auburn) (signed)
Round 2, No. 52: Zach Charbonnet, RB (UCLA) (signed)
Round 4, No. 108 (from Broncos): Anthony Bradford, G (LSU) (signed)
Round 4, No. 123: Cameron Young, DT (Mississippi State) (signed)
Round 5, No. 151 (from Steelers): Mike Morris, DE (Michigan) (signed)
Round 5, No. 154: Olusegun Oluwatimi, C (Michigan) (signed)
Round 6, No. 198: Jerrick Reed II, S (New Mexico) (signed)
Round 7, No. 237: Kenny McIntosh, RB (Georgia) (signed)