WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – When Rams cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon walked into the team facility for Day 1 of OTAs, a feeling of belonging washed over him.

This will be Witherspoon's third season playing for the Rams, but it was his first time being present for OTAs. L.A. signed him to one-year deals in late June of 2023 and early September of 2024, respectively, so he never got the benefit of training and onboarding with his teammates.

Coming in with the rest of the team after signing a deal in mid-March of 2025 just felt right.

"Man, this is a good place," Witherspoon recalled thinking. "This is an opportunity to build on those connections and those relationships."

Witherspoon's performance has improved drastically toward the end of each year he's played for the Rams. His first full offseason with the team, featuring scheme-centric training, more developed communication with defensive personnel and added muscle, has prepared the veteran cornerback to put together a complete campaign.

"He gets better throughout the season and you saw how he played at the end of last year," said defensive coordinator Chris Shula. "We're hoping, based off the offseason and training camp, he can pick up where he left off."

Witherspoon's play during the final six games of 2024 (including playoffs) was invaluable to the team. Five of his six pass breakups came in that span, which tied for third among cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. He also saved the Rams' Week 17 game against the Cardinals with a last-minute diving interception in the end zone, helping L.A. clinch a playoff berth.

A tale of two seasons in 2024

Going into 2025, Witherspoon feels that every aspect of his game has been improved by a full offseason program with the Rams.

"Just sharpening my tools, getting a firm grip on how I'm going to approach the season, what my guys around me are capable of, communication, what's being asked of us from a scheme standpoint," he said. "Anything positive that you can think of football-related, it makes everything better."

Shula put an emphasis on collaboration, cornerback Cobie Durant said during training camp, and the idea that there are no dumb questions. That back-and-forth has aided in Witherspoon's pursuit of better "blind rapport" with his teammates, he said.

Through communication both on and off the field, Witherspoon has come to understand what checks his teammates are likely to make before they even happen, allowing the defense to play faster and more connected.

"His communication was already elite and we expect it to be even better," Shula said.

During Witherspoon's time in San Francisco from 2017-20, inside linebacker Fred Warner and then-inside linebackers coach and current Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans helped him realize the importance of being loud and unafraid of failure.

"I always thought it would be cool to be a cornerback with that same type of presence (as a linebacker), same type of noise, if you want to call it (that)," Witherspoon said. "And I think people gravitate to it, to hear it coming from the outside in as well."

From a positional perspective, Witherspoon honed in on tailoring his playing height to specific situations. In tight areas – press coverage, changing direction, getting in and out of breaks – he needs to stay lower to maximize explosiveness.

Conversely, he wants to use his height and long strides to keep up with speedsters on the outside.

At 6-foot-3, playing tall is his natural instinct, but isn't always the ideal strategy. So, Witherspoon has trained his body, in both individual and team drills, to activate whatever play style the moment calls for.

He's also changed his frame somewhat since last season, adding three or four pounds of muscle.

"Just preparing the body for the long haul of a season," Witherspoon said. "Motivated like I am every offseason to get better and find out what that area is. This year is about getting stronger just so I can be more consistent in terms of – play in, play out – being myself."

Injuries have been a continuous hurdle for Witherspoon during his football journey. Still, he's found a bright side to that unfortunate reality.

In eight seasons, Witherspoon has played 97 games (including playoffs) and started 67. That's an average of just over 12 games and eight starts per year, so his mileage isn't that of a typical ninth-year player.

He also didn't start playing football until his senior year of high school and sat his entire freshman year at Colorado. At this point in his NFL career, Witherspoon's body has been preserved at a level few others have matched.

"I do feel like I've benefited from some of the injuries I had early on taking reps off my body, starting playing football later in my life taking reps off my body," Witherspoon said. "And I'm just really thankful honestly just for the challenges (I've endured) to get to this point, but also just pouring into the opportunity that I do have right now."

Witherspoon felt like he was still learning the nuances of the cornerback position during his first two seasons in the NFL. But now, it feels like he may be in the midst of his mental and physical prime at 30 years young.

"He's played a lot of football, but he's got this young energy," said head coach Sean McVay. "... He's got some wisdom, he's got a bunch of different experiences he's accumulated, but really has an understanding and an ownership of the intent of what we're trying to really get done."