Seahawks: 15 best defensive backs in franchise history

Number 2: Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, 2011-2017

The voice of the Legion of Boom was Richard Sherman. But he didn’t just talk to talk, he could also back it up. Seattle hasn’t had a ton of Hall of Famers yet but Sherman should be one. So should Thomas probably. But generally speaking, Sherman is probably the better respected of the two.

Sherman was a fifth-round draft pick who converted to cornerback in college. He was unusually tall for a corner and didn’t test with blazing speed. But NFL teams underestimated Sherman for three reasons. One, his playing speed was faster than his testing speed. Two, he was extremely physical and aggressive for a corner. And three, he was probably the smartest person on the field most of the time.

With the Seahawks, Sherman was a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-Team All-Pro. He had 8 interceptions in each of his second and third seasons. In 2012, he led the NFL in passes defended with 24. In five of his seven seasons in Seattle, he had at least 4 interceptions.

But while the LOB overall was one of the best, if not the best, secondary in the history of the league, the one player it likely could not have gone without was its shutdown corner, Sherman. Sherman left Seattle after 2017 and played four more seasons in the NFL and made another Pro Bowl.