Lions coach Dan Campbell revealed the Lions had a strong interest in Devon Witherspoon but expressed a preference for their draft picks after trading down.
It was a poorly kept secret from the 2023 NFL Draft, but Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell confirmed on Saturday that they were very interested in cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who was selected fifth overall, just ahead of the Lions’ sixth pick. Witherspoon ultimately went to the Lions’ Week 4 opponent, the Seattle Seahawks.
“Yeah, we really liked him a lot,” Campbell said. “What you see on tape is exactly what we expected. He’s a competitive, feisty, tough football player. He plays corner, nickel, and is an active, ball-hawking guy.”
Witherspoon began his Seahawks career playing nickel but now plays outside in base defense and shifts inside when Seattle uses nickel.
Last year, he was highly productive, recording 79 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks, 16 passes defended, and one interception. This season, he’s started strong with 17 tackles, one pass defended, and a 70.8 PFF grade, ranking 27th among NFL corners.
The Lions missed out on Witherspoon, but their alternative plan turned out well. They traded back from Pick 7 to 12, selecting running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta with the acquired picks. Campbell expressed satisfaction with the return instead of drafting Witherspoon.
“I’d take (Brian) Branch, LaPorta, and Gibbs for that,” Campbell said. “If it had been him (Witherspoon), we’d be missing out on one of those players. We wouldn’t have gotten that combination of three.”
Note: Campbell likely didn’t mention Jack Campbell since that pick came from Detroit’s original 18th overall pick, while Gibbs, LaPorta, and Branch were the result of trades.
