Seattle Seahawks: 15 greatest players in franchise history

Seahawks LT Walter Jones played with Seattle from 1997 through 2008

One reason running back Shaun Alexander got all his rushing yards in the early 2000s is he got to run behind a left side of the offensive line that had future Hall of Famers Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson. But while Hutchinson was obviously very good, Jones is arguably the greatest left tackle to ever play.

Jones was named to the NFL's All-Decade team for the 2000s. He earned four first-team All-Pro nods and made the Pro Bowl nine times. Even when he was close to retiring, his skills were not diminishing. He was named second-team All-Pro in his final year of 2008. He also made second-team All-Pro one other time.

In 180 games - between 1998 and 2007, Jones missed just four games - he allowed just 23 sacks. He was also called for holding just nine times. This means not only was he not getting beaten by some edge rusher on the other side, but he was thoroughly dominating his competition. Unlike Cortez Kennedy and Kenny Easley, Jones was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility (2014).

Jones wasn't the most vocal player during his playing days, but he didn't need to be. He led with his actions on the field. While his numbers are less tangible than a receiver or running back, the fact that Jones didn't allow other players to add to their own statistics is just another reason Walter Jones is the greatest player to ever wear a Seahawks uniform.

Other Seahawks news and analysis