Detroit Lions 2017 NFL Mock Draft: Upgrading the defense

Normally players with a 40-yard dash time of 4.45 seconds and 40 inch vertical don’t last this long. With such a deep cornerback class, Witherspoon is still on the board. There’s a lot to like about this prospect and we can start with his length. You instantly notice it on film as you can’t miss his 6’3″ frame and arm length of 33-inches.

While at Colorado, Witherspoon was part of a productive group of defensive players. From Chidobe Awuzie to Tedric Thompson, Witherspoon was the man on the outside looking in. From a physical standpoint, he’s got the advantage but from a production perspective, he does not. Now I’m not saying that he wasn’t productive, he just wasn’t AS productive as some of his teammates. In his three seasons at Colorado, he only had three interceptions.

Obviously, this brings up questions on his ball skills. However, that’s not so much the case. During the 2016 season, he had 22 pass deflections. With that, he displays quick closing speed after a good consistency of hip fluidity.

With only 71 career tackles, there are concerns about his ability in run support. I’d have to say that he doesn’t fill properly and is oftentimes late coming up for the tackle. There isn’t much concern with his footwork as he displays his ability to mirror the receiver. For the Lions, Witherspoon is certainly an upgrade over Nevin Lawson. With the addition of D.J. Hayden and the presence of Darius Slay, the Lions still need to consider on improving their secondary. This is a step in the right direction.