The Illinois secondary is popular.
Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon is arguably the top defensive back in the 2023 NFL draft. Many expect either Witherspoon or Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez to be the first cornerback selected in the draft. And there’s a good chance one or both will land inside the top 10.
For as good as Witherspoon is, and he’s outstanding, the Fighting Illini have two other defensive backs to watch in the upcoming draft. Safeties Sydney Brown and Jartavius Martin are the two other Illinois defensive backs to know.
The Washington Commanders are interested in a cornerback. The Commanders have brought in multiple top cornerback prospects for top 30 visits and were recently present at Witherspoon’s private workout this week. But there’s a good chance Witherspoon will be gone by the time the Commanders pick at No. 16. Therefore, Washington could target another cornerback, such as Joey Porter Jr., Emmanuel Forbes, or Deonte Banks.
However, if one of the top corners Washington likes is gone, the Commanders may pick another position, such as an offensive lineman. That means Washington may look to add a cornerback prospect in another round.
A new name has emerged for the Commanders, courtesy of Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, and it is Witherspoon’s college teammate, Martin.
While Martin isn’t a first-round prospect, and Washington doesn’t necessarily need another safety, Martin has the position-flex head coach Ron Rivera loves. He can also play slot cornerback — and at a high level. In addition to providing safety depth, Martin could also step right in as Washington’s slot cornerback in 2023.
The 5-foot-11, 194-pound Martin posted outstanding testing numbers at the NFL combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds and recording a 44″ vertical leap.
For Washington to use one of its top 30 visits on Martin indicates a clear interest because Martin is considered a mid-round [3rd-4th-round] prospect.
