Ranking the Seattle Seahawks top draft picks of all time
By Andy Excell
Seahawks 40 through 31
40. Golden Tate – wide receiver – round 2 – pick 60 -2010
John Schneider’s third-ever pick as Seahawks GM, Tate had just four seasons in Seattle in which he amassed 2264 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns and added another 854 yards as a kick returner.
Sadly the Seahawks did not see the best of Tate, he went on to have five seasons in Detroit which included three 1000 yard receiving seasons.
39. Bobby Joe Edmonds – kick returner – round 5 – pick 126 – 1986
Edmonds career with the Seahawks only lasted three seasons, but in the 42 games he appeared in he averaged 76.8 return yards per game and averaged over 36 yards a return.
Edmonds was voted to the pro bowl in his rookie season as a kick returner. His career was ended after just three seasons due to injury, so it is mind-blowing what he could have achieved had he had a longer career.
38. Michael Dickson – punter – round 5 – pick 149 – 2018
A punter, the guy no fan wants to see on the field but can be oh-so-valuable in tight games. Lee Vowell had Dickson as number ten in the Schneider/Carroll era and he comes in at 38 overall all-time for me.
Dickson has been superb in his first three seasons, with a pro bowl selection already under his belt, he has plenty of time to move up this list in future years.
37. Manu Tuiasosopo – defensive end – round 1 – pick 18 – 1979
The earliest draftee on this list, Tuiasosopo spent five years in Seattle before going on to be a member of the 49’ers Super Bowl XIX winning team in 1985. A true Samoan warrior who was a fearsome presence on the defensive line.
36. Frank Clark – defensive end – round 2 – pick 63 – 2015
Clark racked up 36 sacks, 137 tackles, 9 forced fumbles, 4 of which he recovered himself and also added an interception to his turnover resume in his 62 games over four years as a Seahawk
Now with the Chiefs, where he has made 2 pro bowls and won a Super Bowl ring as a Chief. In doing so Clark has shown the value of that Seahawks second round pick.
35. Bruce Irvin – defensive end – round 1 – pick 15 – 2012
Like Clark, Irvin spent 4 years as a Seahawk after being drafted in 2012, before returning briefly in 2020. His 22 sacks, 136 tackles, 4 forced fumbles and 3 interceptions are lesser than Clark’s stats, but the fact that Irvin won his Super Bowl ring as a Seahawk gets him above Clark in this list.
34. Michael McCrary – defensive end – round 7 – pick 170 – 1993
Yet another DE, and like Clark and Irvin spent his first four years as a Seahawk before moving on, in McCrary’s case, to Baltimore where he spent a further six seasons. McCrary played 58 games for Seattle, in which he had 20 sacks, 104 tackles and 3 forced fumbles.
The only reason he is above Clark and Irvin is that he was a late-round pick and therefore was a great value pick by the Seahawks.
33. Michael Boulware – strong safety/linebacker – round 2 – pick 53 – 2004
3 seasons, 176 tackles, 3 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 11 interceptions and a touchdown represent Boulware’s body of work as a Seahawk statistically. He was traded to Houston following his third season, but his short tenure in Seattle was so productive that he warrants his place on this list.
32. Fredd Young – linebacker – round 3 – pick 76 – 1984
Young pre-dated the stats era, but the fact that he made the pro bowl in each of his four seasons as a Seahawk and was then traded to the Colts for two first round draft picks shows the worth of his selection in the third round. After three seasons in Indianapolis, his career ended prematurely due to injury.
31. Shawn Springs – cornerback – round 1 – pick 3 – 1997
The highest draft pick so far in this list, Springs spent seven fruitful seasons in Seattle. In the 97 games he played for the Seahawks, he tallied 20 interceptions, 2 TDs and 434 tackles.
Springs made the pro bowl in 1998 and was selected to the Seahawks 35th anniversary team.