Ahkello Witherspoon Traded to Steelers from Seahawks for 2023 5th-Round Draft Pick

The Seattle Seahawks agreed to trade cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The Steelers confirmed the trade and noted that they are sending a 2023 fifth-round pick to Seattle in exchange for Witherspoon. Pittsburgh also released defensive lineman Henry Mondeaux to make room for Witherspoon.   

The 26-year-old Witherspoon was originally a third-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft out of Colorado by the San Francisco 49ers. He spent the first four seasons of his career in San Francisco before signing a one-year deal with the Seahawks in March.

The expectation was that Witherspoon would start in Seattle across from Tre Flowers, but head coach Pete Carroll shuffled his cornerback rotation throughout the preseason.

Per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic, Witherspoon was moved to the bench in favor of D.J. Reed, which made him expendable.

Still, the trade comes as a surprise given how well Witherspoon performed last season in San Francisco.

The surface-level numbers may not jump off the page, as Witherspoon recorded 20 tackles, four passes defended and one interception in 11 games (four starts) last season, but a deeper dive tells a different story.

According to Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pro Football Focus ranked Witherspoon as the No. 5 overall cornerback in the NFL last season and graded him No. 4 among corners in coverage.

However, it was also noted by Adamski that PFF graded Witherspoon as the fourth-worst cornerback in the NFL in 2018.

Injuries have been an issue for Witherspoon throughout his career, as he has never appeared in more than 14 games in a single season.

Overall, Witherspoon has played in 47 NFL regular-season games, making 33 starts. He has also totaled 117 tackles, 24 passes defended and four interceptions.

With Witherspoon out of the picture, it appears as though Seattle will move forward with Flowers and Reed as its starting corners, while rookie fourth-round pick Tre Brown and the recently acquired Sidney Jones will provide depth.

Meanwhile, Witherspoon has a strong chance to start in Pittsburgh across from veteran Joe Haden.

Incumbent starter Steven Nelson was released earlier this offseason and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. Currently, 2017 third-round pick Cameron Sutton is penciled in to replace Nelson.

It may be difficult for Witherspoon to supplant Nelson by the Steelers' Week 1 game against the Buffalo Bills, but it is possible Witherspoon could be worked into the starting lineup as the season progresses.