Seattle Seahawks: 15 best first-round draft picks of all-time
By Lee Vowell
![Cortez Kennedy, Seattle Seahawks. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn /Allsport Cortez Kennedy, Seattle Seahawks. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn /Allsport](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2F12thmanrising-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F07-2F719068-1-850x560-fc3954fdf2d92ef72f65ac4fbff8b70936beddbf49b5af3c6514e34c84b0841f.jpg)
Marcus Trufant. 9. player. 36. . Cornerback. 2003-12
The difference between Shawn Springs and Marcus Trufant is thin. But I am going with Trufant as the better first-round draft choice because he played his entire career in Seattle. He also helped mentor a young Earl Thomas. But that wasn’t all, as Trufant was a terrific corner for most of his Seahawks career.
Like Springs, Trufant earned one trip to the Pro Bowl in Seattle. Trufant made it in 2007, which may have been his best year. That season, the cornerback had seven interceptions and returned one 84 yards for a touchdown. He also had 85 tackles and 15 passes defended.
Trufant would have fit perfectly in the Legion of Boom, though. He wasn’t afraid to hit people. Trufant had 80 tackles or more in four different seasons, including 96 in his second season. 86 of those tackles were solo. That is a lot for a cornerback, but not for one who liked to hit as much as Trufant did.
He was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft out of Washington State. One reason that Trufant is so admired in the Seattle area is that he grew up in Tacoma and went to Washington State over in Pullman. But it wasn’t only was that he a local product, he was a great Seahawk.
Trufant currently is a co-host of The Barbershop Show that is definitely worth a listen.