A deep look at the best NFL Draft class ever by the Seahawks

Seahawks drafted several great players, but only kept one

’95 kicked off with a good one, as the Hawks took Joey Galloway with the eighth overall pick. As with more than a few of the 90’s draftees, Galloway hit his peak after he left Seattle. Had he stayed with the Seahawks and posted the same stats, he’d trail only Steve Largent in catches, yards, and touchdowns. in ’96 Seattle added a pair of stout linemen, guard Pete Kendall and defensive end Phillip Daniels. Again, both played the majority of their careers outside the Emerald City.

’97 was a sweet year, as the Hawks selected cornerback Shawn Springs with the third pick of the draft. His 33 career interceptions would rank fourth all-time in Seattle had he stayed with the team. With 111 pass defenses, he’d rank just one short of the Hawks career leader. We’ll get to Seattle’s all-time leader soon, don’t worry. While the Seahawks let Springs go, they were smart enough to recognize a monumental talent with their next pick.

The real prize of the 1997 draft was the next player the Hawks got, the number six overall pick. The true 12s already know who I’m talking about – the great Walter Jones. The nine-time Pro Bowler played his entire career in Seattle and remains a great part of the community. He is, of course, one of the greatest tackles in league history. Like Kennedy, you’ll find Jones on multiple top-ten lists in league history.

Seattle nabbed RB Ahman Green the next year, but as with so many of these late ’90s picks, he did most of his damage with other teams. Had he achieved the same stats in Seattle, he’d be the second-leading rusher in Hawks history. ’99 brought a whole lot of nothing to the team. At least they got a solid football analyst in Brock Huard. That brings the ’90s to a total of 14 impact players out of 77 picks. Better than the ’80s, to be sure, but still not great.