Seattle Seahawks 10 Best Draft Picks

Since their inaugural season in 1976, the Seattle Seahawks clearly haven’t drafted well. You can count the number of great draft picks on your fingers, as the franchise has struggled to build great teams through the draft.

It took the Seahawks eight seasons to make their first-ever playoff appearance, largely due to the poor drafting, which has also resulted in tough stretches of mediocre football—with 15 losing seasons during the 34 years of Seahawks football.

However, there have been rare years in which Seattle made the right selection in the draft, taking a franchise player that’s help to turn its fortunes around and contribute to some great seasons.

Bleacher Report presents the top 10 Seattle Seahawks draft picks that have made the greatest impact on the franchise’s history:

10. Fredd Young, Linebacker

Fredd Young may have only played in Seattle for four seasons, but the third-round pick in the 1984 Draft was an impact player during his time as a Seahawk.

Known as a hard hitter in his day, Young started out as a special teams ace in his inaugural season, becoming the first special teams Pro Bowler in AFC history.

He worked his way up into a starting linebacker spot and quickly established himself as the team’s leading tackler, including 1986 when he accounted for 121 tackles.

While he suited up for Indianapolis starting in 1988, Young left holding the record for most sacks by a Seahawks middle linebacker with 19 over four seasons.

9. Lofa Tatupu, Linebacker

The Seahawks 45th pick in the 2005 NFL Draft was an underrated linebacker coming out of USC, but has developed into a big-time player for Seattle in the last five seasons.

Despite only playing five games in 2009, due to a chest injury, Lofa Tatupu has undeniably been a leader on the Seahawks defense, leading the team with 100-plus tackles in his first three years, including 105 tackles in his rookie season when Seattle went to the Super Bowl.

The Trojan graduate added four sacks and three interceptions for a great inaugural campaign, which earned him Pro Bowl honors in 2005 extending into 2007. One of his interceptions as a rookie was returned for a touchdown in a 42-0 Monday night victory over Philadelphia. Tatupu followed up by posting 123 tackles in 2006 to help the Seahawks advance to the divisional round in Chicago.

Injuries have affected him in 2008 and 2009 after a blazing start to his career, but he’s been a rare top draft pick for this franchise and will be a staple in Seattle’s front seven through the 2015 season with his 463 tackles to date.

8. Marcus Trufant, Cornerback

The Seahawks’ 11th overall pick from the 2003 NFL Draft has been the franchise’s top cornerback for the last seven seasons, despite injuries that hampered him in 2009.

He may not be classified as a true shutdown corner, but Marcus Trufant has had a tremendous impact in the Seahawks secondary, as a player that scares quarterbacks away from his coverage.

Born in Tacoma, Trufant attended Washington State and is obviously a hometown favorite in Seattle from his collegiate days in the Pac-10. He’s only built on his outstanding college career with the Cougars with an equally impressive NFL career.

Since being drafted, Trufant has been relied upon to shut down the opposition’s top receivers, and he’s been up to the test throughout his career, piling up 19 interceptions and over 500 tackles.

He was front and center on the Seahawks squad that played for Super Bowl XL in 2005, and two years later posted career highs with seven picks, including one for a touchdown, and 85 tackles. Until 2008, Seattle had made the playoffs in five consecutive seasons, four of which were NFC West titles, with Trufant roaming the secondary as a ball-hawk.

7. Joey Galloway, Receiver

Seattle’s first-round pick, eighth overall, in 1995 was one of the Seahawks’ most dynamic wide receiver ever and made big plays seemingly every time he caught the ball.

Over his five-year career in the Pacific Northwest, Joey Galloway passed 1,000-yard receiving mark three times, including his rookie season when he caught 67 balls for 1,039 yards and seven touchdowns.

The 1997 season, though, was his best in a Seahawks uniform, catching 72 passes for 1,049 and 12 scores. However, he had the unfortunate pleasure of playing under Dennis Erickson for four seasons, during which Seattle hovered around 8-8 and didn’t make the playoffs once.

Galloway departed Seattle after the 1999 season when a contract dispute piqued trade interest from the Cowboys, who acquired the wideout in exchange for two first-round picks, which turned into Shaun Alexander and Koren Robinson. The Ohio State product played four years as a Cowboy, but didn’t relive the magic he once had in Seattle.

It wasn’t until 2005 with the Buccaneers that Galloway returned to the 1,000-yard plateau, marking the first of three 1,000-yard seasons in Tampa Bay before being released after the 2008 campaign.

However, Galloway will be fondly remembered for the speed, athleticism, and excitement he brought to the Seattle fan base every Sunday for five seasons with the team.

6. Jacob Green, Defensive End

The Seahawks’ 10th overall draft pick in 1980, undoubtedly the franchise’s greatest defensive end ever to rush the passer, turned into an unstoppable sack machine.

Jacob Green played 12 seasons in Seattle, before closing out his NFL career with the 49ers, and was one of the most prolific sack artists of his time. He finished his 13-year playing career third on the all-time sacks list with 97.5 total, only trailing the greats Reggie White and Lawrence Taylor when he hung up the cleats after the 1992 season.

1984, a season after the Seahawks play into the AFC Championship, was Green’s breakout year statistically, accumulating 13 sacks and four fumble recoveries.

After adding 13.5 sacks to his mantle in 1985, he earned back-to-back Pro Bowl nods with 12 sacks in 1986 and 9.5 sacks in 1987.

For his great football career in the Pacific Northwest, Green was awarded with a spot on the Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor in 1995.

5. Shaun Alexander, Running Back

The name Shaun Alexander may be a distant memory for many Seahawks fans who merely remember his struggles running the ball during his final days in Seattle.

But the 19th overall selection in 2000 quickly become a big part of the team’s core and was a key factor in the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl appearance in 2005.

In 2001, his first full season as the starting back, Alexander rushed for 1,318 yards and 14 touchdowns – only trailing the Rams’ Marshall Faulk for the league lead. It started a run of six straight seasons with 1,000 yards on the ground.

The 2002 season was another outstanding campaign for the Alabama grad who scored a league-leading 16 rushing touchdowns, including a five-score game against Minnesota in the second game played at Seahawks Stadium.

Between 2003 and 2005, Alexander was honored with Pro Bowl selections in each season, including an All-Pro nod for his part in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run. He was the league’s MVP and earned NFL Offensive Player of the Year award as the top rusher with 1,880 yards.

It followed up a 2004 season in which Alexander accounted for 1,696 yards and was a single yard short of beating Curtis Martin for the rushing title.
Despite a hard fall from grace after 2005, Alexander is among the best offensive players the Seahawks have ever drafted.

4. Cortez Kennedy, Defensive Tackle

Cortez Kennedy, Seattle’s third overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft, is among the Seahawks’ great defensive players, finishing his entire 11-year career in Seattle with 668 tackles, 58 sacks, and an unprecedented three interceptions as a true gap-stopper.

The four-time All-Pro defensive tackle took only one year to earn a starting spot in 1991, the same year he was nominated to his first Pro Bowl courtesy of a 6.5-sack season.

Kennedy only built on his stellar year with an outstanding 1992 season, setting a career-high in sacks (14) and tackles (92), earning him the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors littered the middle portion of his career, making a trip to Hawaii six years in a row from 1991 through 1996.

For his entire body of work in Seattle, he was introduced to the Ring of Honor in 2006 and named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade team.

Kennedy is also up as a finalist for this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame induction class. While he won’t make the list, which includes the likes of Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith and Shannon Sharpe, he’s a Hall of Famer in the hearts of Seattle fans who appreciated his efforts plugging up the middle.

3. Kenny Easley, Safety

In 1981, Seattle used its fourth overall pick to take safety Kenny Easley, who would become an all-time great Seahawk, playing with the team from 1981 through 1987.

Along with Warner, Easley was a big part of the Seahawks’ turnaround in the 1980s—an intimidating presence on Seattle’s defense.

Coupled with his election to the Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor in 2002, Easley was named to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team for his brilliant seven-year career roaming the Seahawks outfield, finished with 32 interceptions—three of which he took back for touchdowns.

The high point of his playing days was in 1984 when he earned the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award for his league-leading 10 picks, including two for scores. His outstanding season helped the Seahawks post the promising 12-4 record, which took the team past the wildcard round before Seattle was beaten by the Dolphins.

Unfortunately, Easley’s career was cut short before the 1988 season when he was diagnosed with kidney disease. Luckily fresh kidneys were provided two years later and he’s now living a fulfilling life as an entrepreneur in Virginia.

3. Kenny Easley, Safety

In 1981, Seattle used its fourth overall pick to take safety Kenny Easley, who would become an all-time great Seahawk, playing with the team from 1981 through 1987.

Along with Warner, Easley was a big part of the Seahawks’ turnaround in the 1980s—an intimidating presence on Seattle’s defense.

Coupled with his election to the Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor in 2002, Easley was named to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team for his brilliant seven-year career roaming the Seahawks outfield, finished with 32 interceptions—three of which he took back for touchdowns.

The high point of his playing days was in 1984 when he earned the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award for his league-leading 10 picks, including two for scores. His outstanding season helped the Seahawks post the promising 12-4 record, which took the team past the wildcard round before Seattle was beaten by the Dolphins.

Unfortunately, Easley’s career was cut short before the 1988 season when he was diagnosed with kidney disease. Luckily fresh kidneys were provided two years later and he’s now living a fulfilling life as an entrepreneur in Virginia.

2. Curt Warner, Running Back

The team’s third overall pick in the 1983 Draft is one of the greatest Seahawks of all-time. During his seven-year stint in Seattle, Curt Warner was a menacing back and brought success to a city that had never tasted it before in the franchise’s first seven seasons.

Warner led the entire AFC in rushing when he broke onto the NFL scene as a rookie in 1983, racking up 1,449 yards and 14 touchdowns to help the Seahawks advance to the AFC Championship. The team finished 9-7 and made its first-ever playoff appearance, and on the strength of Warner’s rushing prowess Seattle took care of the Broncos and Dolphins en route to L.A.

Seattle made the playoffs the following season with an unprecedented 12-4 mark, beating the Raiders in 1984 before losing out to Miami in the divisional round. In all, the franchise enjoyed four playoff appearances and its first division title (1988) with Warner in the backfield. He was the answer for every Seahawks fan waiting to watch a star bring them to the promise land.

While everyone will remember his dazzling rookie year, especially for willing the Seahawks to the conference championship game, the All-American from Penn State was the mark of consistency throughout his time in the Blue and Green, running for over 1,000 yards on four occasions.

1. Walter Jones, Left Tackle

Offensive linemen may not get all the headlines, but when it comes to the Seattle Seahawks and the franchise’s draft history, Walter Jones has been the greatest of all-time.

Jones, who was the Seahawks’ third overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft, is widely regarded as the greatest left tackle to ever play the game. He was the great protector of Matt Hasselbeck’s blindside for eight years until sitting out all of the 2009 season and was a big part of the Seahawks’ trip to the Super Bowl in 2005.

Jones has been to eight Pro Bowls and honored with six All-Pro selections. As a whole, the left side of Seattle’s offensive line for most of the 2000s was one of the best in football history—anchored by Jones and guard Steve Hutchinson, who were both named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team this week.

Regardless whether he decides to retire or comeback to play in Seattle, Jones has been an outstanding player to watch and the constant for a franchise that’s experienced anything but consistency.