SEATTLE — The Seahawks' first selection in the 2023 NFL Draft is expected to miss the start of training camp due to a contract dispute with the team, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Devon Witherspoon, the No. 5 overall pick in the draft, is not expected on the field for the start of Seahawks training camp, Schefter said in a tweet Wednesday morning. Schefter said the 22-year-old cornerback has not agreed to his rookie contract with the Seahawks, making him the last draft pick in this year's class to be unsigned.
Witherspoon's rookie contract is expected to be around four years for $31.9 million, according to Spotrac. His contract would include a signing bonus worth around $20 million.
Witherspoon was regarded as one of the top two cornerbacks in the 2023 draft class. The Illinois cornerback blossomed in his final season at Illinois where he was the Big Ten defensive back of the year, totaling three interceptions and 17 passes defended. Witherspoon was the first cornerback selected in the first round by the Seahawks since Kelly Jennings (No. 31 overall) in 2006.
Seattle's other first-round selection, Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, signed a rookie contract worth over $14 million for four years.
Schefter said Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, was the last top-five selection to miss the start of training camp. Wilson signed his rookie contract on July 29, 2021, after missing the first two days of camp.
Seahawks training camp started on Tuesday and ends on Aug. 16.