Ranking the last 10 Seahawks first-round draft picks in the NFL draft

No. 2 - Jordyn Brooks, linebacker (2020, pick 27)

One day soon Witherspoon (and possibly Smith-Njigba) will surpass Brooks on this list, but there is no reason to disrespect Brooks who was clearly chosen because the team had a plan to replace K.J. Wright eventually and position Brooks next to Bobby Wagner. The shame is that while Brooks was productive - he had 184 and 161 combined tackles in 2021 and 2022, respectively - he probably would have been even better had he re-signed with the team this offseason and played under Mike Macdonald.

Still, the linebacker led the league in solo tackles in 2021 (109) and proved to be somewhat of a superman when he came back from a serious knee injury at the end of 2022 to be ready to go in Week 1 of 2023. And he did not just show up last year; he was very good, including returning an interception for a touchdown. Brooks also had a career-high 4.5 sacks this past season.

No. 1 - Earl Thomas, safety (2010, pick 14)

12s can rightfully have a love-hate relationship with Earl Thomas. Forget his off-field issues for a minute, which aren't great either, of course, but the way he left Seattle just weeks before the death of owner Paul Allen was atrocious. Thomas did not get the contract extension he wanted, was injured in Week 4 of 2018, and then flipped off the Seahawks sideline as he was being carted off the field. But there was much more to Thomas than that.

He was arguably the greatest free safety in the NFL from 2011 through 2015. Between 2012 through 2014, he was named First-Team All-Pro. Over the course of nine years for Seattle, he had 28 interceptions and 11 forced fumbles and was six times named to the Pro Bowl. He also put fear in opposing receivers as he would crunch them even though Thomas was just 5'10 and 200 pounds. He was the speed the Legion of Boom needed to be elite and Seattle simply would not have been as good without Thomas.

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