Welcome to the club, Devin Witherspoon
Apr. 27—Devon Witherspoon became the 21st Illini to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft when the Seattle Seahawks selected him with the fifth pick on Thursday night in Kansas City, Mo. Here's a look at the past 10 before Witherspoon and how they fared in their NFL careers:
Whitney Mercilus
26th pick, 2012
The Texans took the standout defensive end at Illinois late in the first round, and he ended up playing 10 seasons for Houston, registering 58 career sacks before he retired in 2021.
A.J. Jenkins
30th pick, 2012
The 49ers took a flyer on the the wide receiver after he had 90 catches for 1,276 yards in 2011. But he only lasted three seasons in the NFL, having minimal roles with the 49ers and the Chiefs.
Corey Liuget
18th pick, 2011
The Chargers selected the defensive tackle, and he turned in a respectable 10-year career, starting 104 games and making 291 tackles and 26 sacks playing with four teams.
Vontae Davis
25th pick, 2009
After spending three seasons with the Dolphins, he turned into a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback with the Colts in 2014 and 2015. Davis played 10 seasons before abruptly retiring early in 2018.
Rashard Mendenhall
23rd pick, 2008
The running back posted two 1,000-yard seasons with the Steelers and played in Super Bowl XLV, rushing for 63 yards and a touchdown, but retired at 26 years old in 2014.
Kevin Hardy
2nd pick, 1996
The linebacker went to the Jaguars after winning the Butkus Award in 1995. He spent nine seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Jaguars, and was a First Team All-Pro selection in 1999.
Simeon Rice
3rd pick, 1996
The Big Ten's all-time sack leader with 44 1/2, Rice got after NFL quarterbacks, too, once the Cardinals picked him. He retired in 2007 with 122 sacks after a 12-year career with four teams.
Brad Hopkins
13th pick, 1993
The left tackle spent all 13 seasons with the same franchise, starting 188 games for the then-Houston Oilers before they became the Tennessee Titans and was a two-time Pro Bowl pick.
Henry Jones
26th pick, 1991
The strong safety played in four Super Bowls — all losses — after the Bills chose him. A First Team All-Pro in 1992, Jones had 713 tackles and 18 interceptions in a 12-year career, mostly in Buffalo.
Jeff George
1st pick, 1990
He didn't become the Colts franchise quarterback after Indianapolis made him the only Illini to be picked No. 1. Still, he threw for 27,602 yards in 12 seasons with five different teams.
