Seattle Seahawks all time top 40 players

4: S Kenny Easley (1981 – 87)

Jan 31, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Seattle Seahawks former safety Kenny Easley looks on at the Seattle Seahawks 12Fest fan rally in the Desert at Chase Field prior to Super Bowl XLIX. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

As I argued in our Seahawks Mount Rushmore roundtable, Easley belongs in the top 4 even though his career was cut so short due to the kidney problem that caused his eventual trade to the Cardinals to be voided. That led to a lawsuit against the team and a strained relationship for years. All is well now, and Easley finally took his rightful place in the Ring Of Honor in 2002. The 4th pick in the 1981 draft (unheard of draft position for a safety) all Easley did for the next 7 years was prove the Seahawks right. He was the epitome of the complete safety; he could do it all. Tackle statistics aren’t available, but he flew all over the field and hit hard. He had 8 sacks, 11 fumble recoveries and 32 INT’s on his resume, and even returned punts on occasion. If he got his hands on the ball he had the ability to go the distance, scoring 3 TD’s. He made the Pro Bowl 5 times, was All-Pro 3 times, and was named to the NFL’s 1980’s All Decade team. Had his career not been so short, he could have gone down as the greatest safety in league history.

3: DT Cortez Kennedy (1990 – 2000)

For as much as the current Seahawks are known for super stars found in the later rounds of the draft, the top of this all-time list is dominated by high picks. Kennedy is no exception. Taken 3rd overall out of the University of Miami in 1990, Kennedy didn’t look anything like an athlete, but even at a soft-looking 6’3″ and 305 lbs he was said to have the ability to dunk a basketball. His elite quickness and strength at the point of attack was unparalleled. He racked up 568 tackles and 58 sacks, and is even credited with 3 INT’s in his career. All you need to know about Kennedy is that in 1992 he was named NFL Defensive Player Of The Year despite the fact the Seahawks went 2-14. He had 92 tackles with 14 sacks and 4 forced fumbles that year. Kennedy is in the Ring Of Honor and was inducted in the NFL Hall Of Fame in 2012.

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