10 most valuable Seahawks draft selections of the last decade

9th best Seahawks draft selection of the 2010s: Justin Britt, OL

The Seahawks have had a lot of difficulty in drafting offensive lineman. Fortunately, they did have one selection that panned out. Seattle selected Justin Britt in the 2014 NFL Draft, out of Missouri.

During the pre-draft process, Britt was believed to be a swing tackle candidate. He possessed the athleticism and size needed to play tackle. His biggest weakness was his overall strength. Seattle selected him fully expecting him to compete for the starting right tackle spot.

Pete Carroll has the mantra to always compete. Britt didn’t just come in and compete, he showed up and proved to be one of the most gifted linemen on the roster. He left the pre-season with the starting right tackle spot in the bag and did so with ease.

His rookie season was full of hills and valleys. He averaged one penalty or sack per 90 snaps (a career-low). Roughly one every game and a half. Despite an average per count, his production left a very promising undertone. It was clear his future was bright. PFF thought very favorably of him as well with a rookie grade of 71.6.

Seattle realized after the season that his best positional value would likely be on the inside. This would align him where he can use his athleticism to help move defensive lineman to help positions, as opposed to playing on an island. Through this move, he not only found a home but became the lone staple of the offensive line.

He was truly the only player that Seattle could count on keeping Russell Wilson clean. He consistently ranked in the upper tiers in terms of both pass and run blocking yet did not receive nearly the recognition he deserved.

Pos.       Year       Snaps Penalties Sacks     Snaps per

…………………Played………………….Penalty/ Sack

RT           2014       1164          8          5              90          

LG           2015       1200          7          3              120                

C             2016       1121          2          0              561        

C             2017       1062          5          1              177        

C             2018       1044          5          2              149        

C             2019       504            1          2              168  

The only player who has a better rate for snaps per sack/penalty since 2016 is Duane Brown. Browns has been a Pro-Bowl player numerous times in his career. Britt has deserved to be in the conversation as a truly elite center. However, as many Seahawks do, he flew under the radar.

From 2014 to 2018 Britt played in 7 postseason games (411 offensive snaps). In the postseason Britt did not accumulate a single sack, he also allowed just one penalty. When the game was at its most critical point, Britt was truly someone the team could count on to play big. This included an impressive showing in 2016 where he ended with a PFF grade of 90.

Seattle may have missed on many other offensive linemen; however, they got this one right. Britt was a fierce competitor and a phenomenal teammate. Truly one of the best offensive line selections under Pete Carroll and John Schneider.