Seattle Seahawks: 15 best first-round draft picks of all-time
By Lee Vowell
Safety. 2010-18. Earl Thomas. 4. player. 36.
Earl Thomas has a history of a career that is not yet fully written. Thomas was a member of the Seahawks of nine years. Those years will be his legacy. Though he signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Ravens in 2019, he will always be a Seahawk.
Thomas was a huge reason Seattle won its first Super Bowl for the 2013 season. Without Thomas, Seattle would not have been nearly as successful in the first part of this decade. He allowed other players, like Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman, to develop into the great defensive stalwarts they became.
If Thomas were not roaming centerfield, Chancellor and Sherman would have had other assignments and not able to make the game-changing plays they did. Without Thomas, Sherman doesn’t make the money he was able to earn.
With Rob Gronkowski retiring, the first thing that popped in my head was the "thud" of #Seahawks Earl Thomas nailing him over the center of the field haha.
— Samuel Gold (@SamuelRGold) March 25, 2019
Gronk was such a good player. Very few players will ever be like him!pic.twitter.com/Nrb98TpmEX
Thomas will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day. If he isn’t, the NFL should do away with the Canton institution. Thomas is the epitome of a football player. He isn’t big, but he is really fast. When he is on the field, he gives a maximum effort. Thomas changes outcomes of games and does it with his ability to make plays.
Seattle’s former free safety could make an opposing receiver feel pain physically and emotionally. Thomas could hit hard for a player his size, but could also bait a team into poor throws as well. He was a reason Seattle went to back-to-back Super Bowls and should have won both.
Thomas was chosen in the 2010 NFL Draft with the No. 14 overall pick. He ended up helping make Seattle a Super Bowl champion. What else can a team ask?