Seahawks at 50: Shaun Alexander, Steve Hutchinson headline 2000s draft class stars

Seattle made its first Super Bowl appearance in the 2000s with lots of help from their draft classes early in the decade.

The Seattle Seahawks recently announced some of their plans for celebrating their 50th season this year. They’re also likely deep into their preparations for the upcoming NFL Draft. What a perfect opportunity to combine them and look at some of the best Seahawks draft picks for each decade of existence!

After a very rocky 1990s record-wise, the Seahawks gained traction in the 2000s under Mike Holmgren. Much of that was a direct reflection on their drafting success early in the decade. Time to check it out!

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Shaun Alexander, RB – 2000 NFL Draft Round 1, Pick No. 19

Once again, the Seahawks continued the trend of hitting a home run with their first pick of the new decade with Shaun Alexander, who would eventually become the all-time leading rusher for Seattle. It took Alexander a year to get rolling, but then he really got on a roll with five consecutive 1,000 yard seasons between 2001-2005. This included his 2005 MVP season where he led the league with 1,880 rushing yards and 28 total TDs – an NFL record at the time. Over his 8-year Seahawks career, Alexander rushed for 9,429 yards and 100 TDs while adding another 1,511 yards receiving and 12 receiving TDs. He was a 3x Pro-Bowler, 1x All-Pro, 2005 NFL Offensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player, and was named to the HOF All-2000s Team. As mentioned previously, Alexander is the leading rusher in Seahawks history and has the most career TDs for Seattle which also places him top five in most points scored.

Darrell Jackson, WR – 2000 NFL Draft Round 3, Pick No. 80

Most will probably remember Darrell Jackson for that BS offensive pass interference call against him in Super Bowl 40. That would be selling Jackson short as his name is still solidly etched in Seahawks record books. Jackson played seven seasons for the Seahawks as one of Matt Hasselbeck’s favorite targets, hauling in 441 passes for 6,445 yards and 47 TDs. All of those are in the Seahawks all-time top 10 for their respective categories, proving that Jackson probably deserves more respect than he gets.

Steve Hutchinson, OG – 2001 NFL Draft Round 1, Pick No. 17

Hutch’s tenure in Seattle had an unforgettable ending with the whole “poison pill” fiasco. Yet, five seasons with the Seahawks were also unforgettable as he teamed up with Walter Jones to pave the way for Shaun Alexander to run roughshod over the league. Hutchinson was a 3x Pro-Bowler and 2x All Pro in those seasons. He would get even more accolades throughout the rest of his career with the Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans leading to his eventual Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement in 2020.

Marcus Trufant, CB – 2003 NFL Draft Round 1, Pick No. 11

The Seahawks made plenty of their fans happy when they chose local product Marcus Trufant in 2003. Trufant started on the outside from the first day, making the 2003 All-Rookie Team. He spent his entire career in Seattle, starting 125 of 136 games with 21 INTs. Trufant made the Pro Bowl in 2007 and ranks in the top 10 for career INTs and tackles for the Seahawks.

Lofa Tatupu, LB – 2005 NFL Draft Round 2, Pick No. 45

Tatupu burst onto the scene as a rookie, starting all 16 games and finishing 2nd in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting behind 105 tackles, 3 INT, 4.0 sacks and 1 defensive TD. His star burned bright early on until injuries caught up with him and he was out of the NFL by age 29. Tatupu played six years with the Seahawks, finishing with 552 tackles, 10 INT, 8.5 sacks, and 2 defensive TDs. He was a 3x Pro-Bowler and 1x All-Pro, with all of those accomplishments coming over his first three seasons.

Brandon Mebane, DT – 2007 NFL Draft Round 3, Pick No. 85

The originator of the “belly roll” celebration, Mebane was an unheralded key cog for the defensive dominance enjoyed during the LOB era. As a defensive tackle, he never put up eye-popping stats but did more than his fair share to keep Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright clean, allowing them to eat. Mebane played in 131 games over 9 years in Seattle, finishing with 349 tackles and 15.5 sacks. He never made the Pro Bowl but won Super Bowl 48 with the Seahawks in 2013.

Max Unger, C – 2009 NFL Draft Round 2, Pick No. 49

Ever since Max Unger was traded to the New Orleans Saints for Jimmy Graham in 2015, the Seahawks have had a revolving door at the center position. Unger was excellent when healthy – part of the reason he was traded was due to some injury concerns. When he was on the field for Seattle though, he was the centerpiece of the OL, garnering two Pro-Bowls and 1 All-Pro nod. He added another Pro Bowl in his final season for the Saints, after playing nearly as many games for them in four years (63) as he did in six years with the Seahawks (67).

Honorable Mentions

Koren Robinson, WR – 2001 NFL Draft Round 1, Pick No. 9 (Played five total years in Seattle over two stints, catching 244 passes for 3,567 yards and 14 TDs. Robinson is 10th in Seahawks history for both career receptions and career receiving yards)

Ken Lucas, CB – 2001 NFL Draft Round 2, Pick No. 40 (Another player with two separate tours in Seattle, playing in 78 games over five seasons with 12 INT)

Maurice Morris, RB – 2002 NFL Draft Round 2, Pick No. 54 (Played in 101 games for the Seahawks with 3,165 total yards from scrimmage and 18 TDs. He was also the main kick returner from 2002-2004 with 2,843 return yards and 1 TD. Morris ranks 10th in career rushing yards for Seattle at 2,612)

Rocky Bernard, DT – 2002 NFL Draft Round 5, Pick No. 146 (Played in 103 games for Seattle with 29.0 career sacks. Won a Super Bowl as a member of the New York Giants in the 2011 season)

Sean Locklear, OT – 2004 NFL Draft Round 3, Pick No. 84 (Started 78 of 97 games over seven years with the Seahawks)

LeRoy Hill, LB – 2005 NFL Draft Round 3, Pick No. 98 (Played entire 8-year career with the Seahawks, racking up 512 tackles, 20.0 sacks, and 1 defensive TD. Holds the Seahawks rookie record for TFL with 11 in 2005)

Red Bryant, DL – 2008 NFL Draft Round 4, Pick No. 121 (Heart-and-soul player for the LOB Seahawks after moving out to DE. Played in 64 games for the Seahawks with 120 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 2 INT, 1 defensive TD. Won Super Bowl 48 with the Seahawks)

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The 2010s are coming at you next time. As you can imagine, that decade is probably the best overall for Seattle’s first 50 years as a franchise both in terms of drafting and team success. It’ll be fun to look back on!