Devon Witherspoon is the kind of player who should not be getting lost in a Top 100 conversation.
The NFL’s list for the upcoming 2026 season is still being rolled out, and the bottom half has already stirred up plenty of noise. So far, only one Seattle Seahawks player has made the cut, and it is not Witherspoon.
The cornerback’s absence stands out even more when you look at how the list has unfolded: of the first 60 spots revealed, only two corners have been included, Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell at 47 and Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn at 76. The lone Seahawks player on the board is linebacker Ernest Jones IV at 97.
That omission feels harder to explain when you stack up what Witherspoon has done since entering the league in 2023. He has made the Pro Bowl in all three of his seasons, earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors in 2023, and was named a second-team All-Pro this past season. He played a major role in Seattle finishing with the league’s top-ranked scoring defense last season, even while missing five games.
And the production was still there in a shortened season. In 12 regular-season games, Witherspoon put up 72 total tackles, 48 solo tackles, two tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, 0.5 sacks, seven pass breakups and an interception. He also made the move from slot cornerback to boundary cornerback in the wake of Nick Emmanwori.
Seattle has never exactly been the loudest team in the league when it comes to player recognition, and that point hangs over this list, too. The Seahawks have plenty of talent, but they do not always get the same steady spotlight as the two Los Angeles teams or the San Francisco 49ers. Witherspoon has still been one of the league’s most dynamic defenders, and one of the better cornerbacks in football.
The NFL players were willing to show respect to former Seahawks and Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner, even with Wagner still a free agent while all 32 teams are in training camp. But Witherspoon being left out altogether is a different kind of head-scratcher.
The argument for him gets even stronger when you look beyond the league’s list. Madden 27 has him rated as the No. 6 cornerback, ahead of both Mitchell and Horn. That only adds to the sense that the Seahawks and their players still are not fully getting their due from the league or from fans.
Witherspoon was also a star in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run, including the Super Bowl LX performance where he recorded four solo tackles, one pass breakup, one sack and three quarterback hits, with one of those hits leading to a pick-six for edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu.
None of these preseason lists decide a player’s future or what his career will become. But at some point, the names at the top need to match the players actually doing the work on the field. Witherspoon belongs in that group.
In Other News...
Leonard Williams Just Put Seahawks Fans On Notice About His Future
Leonard Williams is heading into the new season with his long-term future in Seattle still unresolved, even as contract talks continue behind the scenes. The veteran defensive lineman has been a central part of the Seahawks front since arriving, and the next deal will have to balance his age, his standing in the market, and where the team wants to allocate its money over the next few years.
For the Seahawks, the stakes go beyond simply keeping a productive interior presence in place. Recent contracts around the league have raised the price tag for defensive tackles, and Seattle also has to think about future cap priorities as it plans ahead. Williams is under contract through the 2026 season, but if the sides do not strike a new agreement before then, he could reach free agency with plenty of questions still attached to one of the rosters most important veteran pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Backfield Battle Could Cost George Holani At Worst Time
George Holani has made a solid impression through the Seahawks offseason program and training camp, giving himself a legitimate case to stick in a backfield that never seems to have enough room. But for all the good work he has put in, his path is still tied to roster math, and Seattle is not expected to carry an oversized group of tailbacks.
The timing of Zach Charbonnets return from a knee injury could make the situation even trickier for Holani. If the Seahawks need to balance the numbers once Charbonnet is activated, Holani looks like the kind of player who could be squeezed out, either by a release or a trip to the practice squad, even after doing enough to keep himself in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Elijah Arroyo Is Giving Seahawks Fans A Real Reason For Optimism
Elijah Arroyo has made one of the clearest early impressions in Seahawks training camp, turning in a string of strong practices that has caught the eye of anyone watching the offense. The second-year tight end has been on the receiving end of multiple touchdown passes and has started to build real chemistry with quarterback Sam Darnold, which is exactly the kind of development Seattle needs as it sorts through a new offensive setup under Brian Fleury.
For a team adjusting after Klint Kubiaks departure, Arroyos emergence offers a welcome boost of optimism. He looks capable of becoming more than just a complementary piece next to starter AJ Barner, and the way he has worked into the passing game suggests there may be a bigger role waiting if this camp momentum carries into the season. [Read more 🡒]