Seattle Seahawks: Ranking top 10 players of the past decade

6. Kam Chancellor, SS

Seattle took a chance on the Virginia Tech product with a fifth-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. While Chancellor saw limited playing time as a rookie, he took over as a starter opposite Earl Thomas in 2011. From then on, Chancellor became one of Seattle’s most beloved football players.

The 6-3, 225-pound safety looked more like a linebacker, and he hit like one too. Chancellor became the enforcer in Seattle’s Legion of Boom, crushing opponents who challenged the team’s superiority. Besides his brute force, Chancellor also possessed versatility. He could guard tight ends and even some slot receivers.

Chancellor made four Pro Bowls during his career, and the Associated Press selected him as a Second Team All-Pro in 2013 and 2014. Unfortunately, a neck injury forced him to retire after the 2017 season.

Chancellor left the NFL with 607 tackles, nine forced fumbles, 12 interceptions and 44 passes defensed.

5. Richard Sherman, CB

Some teams wanted Sherman to enter the draft as a wide receiver. The Stanford product shunned the idea, and the Seahawks selected him in the fifth round of the 2011 draft as a cornerback. While Pete Carroll may have believed Sherman could develop into a starter, not even he realized how great Sherman would become.

As a rookie, Sherman started 10 games and made four interceptions. He followed the respectable rookie performance by intercepting eight passes and leading the NFL with 24 passes defensed in 2012. While he didn’t make the Pro Bowl, Sherman earned the first of three consecutive First-Team All-Pro selections.

Sherman became the voice and trash talker of the Legion of Boom, which made him a controversial player in the eyes of fans outside of Seattle. However, the All-Pro cornerback backed up his trash talk. He and Patrick Peterson emerged as the top cornerbacks of the post-Darrelle Revis era.

During his seven seasons with the Seahawks, Sherman made four Pro Bowls and intercepted 32 passes.