The best players in NFL history based on the draft position of the Seahawks 2017 picks

The Seahawks added 11 players to their roster through the draft last week, and as we all know, the most important way to predict a player’s success is through the fairly-arbitrary process of noting how high they were picked. I went back and checked which other players went in these draft positions, so that we could know once and for all how good or bad these new Seattle players will be.

Malik McDowell at 35th overall

Last season: Hunter Henry, TE, Chargers

Highest Career AV: Norm Snead, QB, Bills, 1961

Most Pro Bowls: Mike Alstott, FB, Bucs, 1996

Hall of Fame: John Mackey, TE, Jets, 1963

In recent years, the 35th overall pick has been pretty good, yielding Henry, Joel Bitonio, Zach Ertz, and Andy Dalton in recent seasons. Two years ago, the Raiders drafted Mario Edwards in this spot, and he showed promise but missed basically all of last season with injury. Other notable pick 35s include Brandon Flowers, James Laurinaitis, Alge Crumpler, Courtney Upshaw, Charles Tillman, Christian Okoye, Wes Hopkins, Keith Farnhorst, and Ben McGee

Ethan Pocic at 58th overall

Last season: Sean Davis, DB, Steelers

Highest Career AV: Dick LeBeau, DB, Browns, 1967

Most Pro Bowls: LeBeau, LaVern Torgeson (LB, Lions, 1951), and Jerry Shipkey (LB, Steelers, 1947) with 3

Hall of Fame: LeBeau

Seahawks at 58: Sherman Smith, Dennis Boyd, and Bill Dugan

Davis started eight games for the Steelers as a rookie last season and Gil Brandt named him to the All-Rookie team for NFL.com. He could be a good one. The year before was Markus Golden to the Cardinals, and he had 12.5 sacks in 2016, as you probably know. Funnily enough, in 2014 the pick was Stanley Jean-Baptiste, the corner who was compared to Richard Sherman, quickly flamed out with the Saints, and is now with the Seahawks. Running back Montee Ball was not a good pick there in 2013, but a year prior to that the player at 58 was Lavonte David — the Bucs linebacker has consistently been one of the best players in the NFL. The year before that was Torrey Smith and two years before that it was tackle Sebastian Vollmer.

Overall, pick 58 has been quite rewarding recently.

Shaquill Griffin at 90th overall

Last season: C.J. Prosise, RB, Seahawks

Highest Career AV: Matt Schaub, QB, Falcons, 2004

Most Pro Bowls: Pat Donovan, T, Cowboys, 1975

Seahawks at 90: Prosise

I think Prosise looks like an awesome pick for 90th overall already, it’s just a matter of how often he can get on the field. Two years ago, the Ravens picked defensive tackle Carl Davis and he barely played in 2015, then missed all of last season. In 2014 it was receiver Donte Moncrief, and he’s had some okay moments for the Colts. Other notable players at 90 include Antonio Freeman, Nate Webster, Mike Flanagan, Yancy Thigpin, Tootie Robbins, and Dick Hoak.

Delano Hill at 95th overall

Last season: Graham Glasgow, G/C, Lions

Highest Career AV: Jimmy Graham, TE, Saints

Most Pro Bowls: Graham and Rick Upchurch (WR, Broncos, 1975) with 4

Glasgow was a really nice pick last year, it seems. Two years ago it was Redskins running back Matt Jones, and he’s looked okay for his draft position. But four years ago the Texans picked defensive end Sam Montgomery; he was released for “unspecified violations” and has never played in the NFL. Of course, the big deal here is Graham, who was the pick there in 2009 and is now in Seattle.

Other notable picks at 95 include Mario Manningham, Brad Maynard, Amos Zereoue, Michael Pittman, and Upchurch, who also made three first-team All-Pro lists for the Broncos as a returner. This is also where you’ll find former Nebraska QB/NFL no positioner Eric Crouch. Good job, Rams.

Nazair Jones at 102nd overall

Last season: Joshua Perry, LB, Chargers

Highest Career AV: Johnny Unitas, QB, Steelers, 1955

Most Pro Bowls: Unitas (10)

Hall of Fame: Unitas and Nick Buoniconti, LB, Patriots, 1962

Seahawks at 102: Mark Bell, DE, 1979

Good news for Naz is that a player who went 102nd is now in the top 10 of any respectable “All-Time Greats” lists. The bad news (?) is that the team that drafted Unitas cut him before the season only to see him crop up as a championship QB for the Colts a few years later. Another very notable QB who went in this draft position: Kirk Cousins to Washington in 2012. He was supposed to be insurance for the Robert Griffin III selection that year, and it turned out to be a very smart move. If only they can figure out what to do with him now.

There are other solid players who went 102nd overall that have done good things recently: Breshaud Breeland, Jordan Cameron, and Brian Robison. Other notables include: Stephen Davis and Marcus Robertson.

Amara Darboh at 106th overall

Last season: Eric Murray, CB, Chiefs

Highest Career AV: Norm Evans, T, Oilers, 1965

Most Pro Bowls: Don Perkins, FB, Colts, 1960

Seahawks at 106: Robert Turbin, 2012

Of course, as you move down the list, there’s less of a likelihood for notable or good players. Murray didn’t do anything for KC as a rookie. The year before that was Bears running back Jeremy Langford, and you gotta think he’s playing for his NFL career this August. In the last nine years, the only player who has even had one season as a starter is tight end Dion Sims, who just did that for the first time with the Dolphins in 2016. That includes Turbin, who most of you are probably familiar with. A lot of these players were out of the NFL pretty quickly, but there are some notable picks: Luke McCown, Kyle Orton, David Thornton, Chris Weinke, current Raiders OC Bill Musgrave, and a few Pro Bowlers in the sixties and seventies.

Tedric Thompson at 111th overall

Last season: Miles Killebrew, SS, Lions

Highest Career AV: Grady Alderman, T, Lions, 1960

Most Pro Bowls: Alderman

Seahawks at 111: Larry Seivers in 1977 and Walter Thurmond in 2010

Another position in which Seattle has drafted fairly recently. I wouldn’t have high marks for the players at 111, but certainly some legit football players on the list. Killebrew is someone that we liked a lot on 3000 NFL Mock Draft (to be fair, he was a guest on the show) and I’d say he has a bright future. Absent of my bias, he was still pretty productive for a fourth round rookie, totaling 20 tackles and an interception. In 2014, the Bengals took center Russell Bodine there and he’s still the regular starter. Thurmond had his ups and downs before the injuries finally took their toll on him. Other notables include Will Allen, Terrence McGee, Rosevelt Colvin, and Jason Fibini.

Mike Tyson at 187th overall

Last season: Nate Sudfeld, QB, Redskins

Highest Career AV: Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Packers, 1998

Most Pro Bowls: MATT

Hall of Fame: MATT HASSELBECK IF THEY KNOW WHAT’S GOOD FOR ‘EM

How’s this for some more positive signs for this draft class? Graham, Prosise, Matt ... then again, maybe it means that another team just drafted a future Seahawks star. Hasselbeck is a fellow 187-MDK player now with Tyson, which is something to be proud of. Other MDKers include Andre Ellington, Allen Bradford, John Sullivan, and Craig James. Also a quarterback named “Young Bussey” who was playing for the Bears on the day that Pearl Harbor was bombed, left the NFL to join the Navy, and was killed in action in 1945. I so desperately just wanted to focus on his name but it turns out his life was pretty interesting too.

Justin Senior at 210th overall

Last season: Jimmy Landes, LS, Lions

Highest Career AV: Stan Walters, T, Bengals, 1972

Most Pro Bowls: Walters (2)

Seahawks at 210: Matt Hernandez (T, 1983), Larry Shipp (WR, 1976), Harold Blackmon (DB, 2001), Jordan Kent (WR, 2007)

Anyone else find it interesting that Kent is only like two years older than Graham? Seattle’s never picked first overall, but this is their fifth time picking at 210. There are still some notable players here: Famous puncher IK Enemkpali, Vance Walker, Zach Strief, punter Hunter Smith, a player named Derrick Carr, and quarterback Wade Wilson.

David Moore at 226th overall

Last season: Jonathan Woodard, DE, Jaguars

Highest Career AV: Ernie McMillan, T, Patriots, 1961

Most Pro Bowls: Steve Tasker, WR/special teams, Oilers, 1985

Now here’s something interesting: I told you the story of Young Bussey and that probably reminded some of you about Pat Tillman. Well, Tillman was drafted by the Cardinals at 226.

From 1985 to 2004, almost half of the players who went 226th never played in the NFL. Since then, most players there have gotten at least a cup of coffee. That includes A.Q. Shipley, George Selvie, and Bobby Hart.

Christopher Carson at 249th overall

Last season: Prince Charles Iworah, CB, 49ers

Highest Career AV: Dwight Clark, WR, 49ers, 1979

Most Pro Bowls: Clark

Seahawks at 249: Ben Obomanu, 2006

Obomanu was a super good seventh rounder back in 2006. But that’s not all: 249 is where Clinton McDonald was drafted in 2009 by the Bengals. It’s also where Michael Sam went in 2014. Robert McClain, Mark Maddox, and John Outlaw. The biggest pick of all among the 249ers, is Clark though, who went to 49ers.