As part of PFF's celebration of 20 years of NFL data, we're building an All-Star team for every franchise, highlighting the best players at each position from the PFF era. This installment turns to the Seattle Seahawks.
PFF's database dates back to the 2006 NFL season, providing a unique lens for evaluating and comparing players across eras. More details on the methodology used to construct these teams are available at the bottom of the page.
Offense
- QB: Russell Wilson (2012-2021)
- HB: Marshawn Lynch (2010-2015, 2019)
- WR: Tyler Lockett (2015-2024)
- WR: D.K. Metcalf (2019-2024)
- Slot WR: Doug Baldwin (2011-2018)
- TE: Jimmy Graham (2015-2017)
- TE: Will Dissly (2018-2023)
- LT: Duane Brown (2017-2021)
- LG: Damien Lewis (2020-2023)
- C: Justin Britt (2014-2019)
- RG: Max Unger (2009-2014)
- RT: Sean Locklear (2006-2010)
The Seahawks were at their best in the early 2010s, pairing a top-10 offense with the league's best defense. While the defense declined during the second half of the decade, which hurt the team's overall success, the offense continued to shine. The skill-position players on this team are almost entirely made up of players from the 2010s and those who played alongside Russell Wilson.
The PFF era began after Seattle's first Super Bowl appearance, and last season the Seahawks won their second Super Bowl. However, neither iteration of the franchise had enough longevity to surpass the players from the 2010s. For example, Jaxon Smith-Njigba holds the franchise record for receiving yards in a season, but his two strong years were not enough to overcome the résumés of Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf, each of whom produced at a high level for at least five seasons.
Seattle spent most of the last 20 seasons prioritizing nearly every position over the offensive line, particularly left tackle. Hall of Famer Walter Jones narrowly missed this team because he played only three seasons during the PFF era, compared to Duane Brown, who was nearly as good and played two additional seasons. The Seahawks' third- and fourth-best offensive linemen from the era, Russell Okung and Charles Cross, were also exclusively left tackles.
All three Seahawks interior offensive linemen who made the team played multiple positions. This alignment was chosen to maximize the unit's overall quality, but the three could have been arranged in almost any order.
Defense
- DI: Leonard Williams (2023-2025)
- DI: Brandon Mebane (2007-2015)
- ED: Michael Bennett (2013-2017)
- ED: Chris Clemons (2010-2013)
- LB: Bobby Wagner (2012-2021, 2023)
- LB: K.J. Wright (2011-2020)
- SLB: Bruce Irvin (2012-2015, 2020, 2022)
- CB: Richard Sherman (2011-2017)
- CB: Marcus Trufant (2006-2012)
- Slot CB: Devon Witherspoon (2023-2025)
- S: Earl Thomas III (2010-2018)
- S: Kam Chancellor (2010-2017)
The Seahawks allowed the fewest points in the NFL in each season from 2012 to 2015. No other team has accomplished that in consecutive seasons during the PFF era, so unsurprisingly, this team is largely built around the Legion of Boom defense.
Two exceptions are Leonard Williams and Devon Witherspoon. They are Seattle's two highest-graded defenders over the last three seasons and play positions where the Seahawks did not have an All-Pro-caliber option from the Legion of Boom era.
The other exception is Marcus Trufant, who played the second-most snaps among Seahawks cornerbacks over the last 20 years (5,570). While Byron Maxwell from the Legion of Boom era earned a slightly higher grade, particularly in 2013, he played less than half as many snaps for Seattle.
Methodology
Selections were based on normalized PFF grades adjusted by season. To balance peak performance and longevity, only a player's five best seasons with a franchise from 2006-25 were considered. Any season with an overall PFF grade below 60.0 was excluded, ensuring that strong years helped a player's case while weaker seasons were not held against him. Postseason play was included, though all seasons were capped at a 16-game equivalent to maintain consistency across eras. At each position, the player with the highest score under this methodology earned the spot.
Each team consists of 12 offensive and 12 defensive players. Because 11 personnel and nickel defense were the league's most common alignments over the past two decades, those personnel groupings served as the foundation for every roster. Teams received either a second tight end or a fullback, depending on whether they used more 12- or 21-personnel. Defensively, teams received either a third interior defender or a third linebacker depending on whether they primarily operated from a 3-4 or 4-3 front.
Players who logged significant snaps at multiple positions during their tenure with a franchise were eligible at either spot. In most cases, those players were assigned to the position where they provided the greatest value, though their versatility occasionally influenced the final roster construction.
Unlike some All-Pro teams that group offensive linemen by position type, these rosters were built according to where players actually lined up. If a team's two best tackles both played exclusively on the left side, only the top left tackle was selected. One of the three wide receivers and one of the five defensive backs was also required to have significant slot experience. In a 4-3 defense, one linebacker needed experience at the Sam linebacker position, while in a 3-4 defense, one defensive tackle needed experience at nose tackle.
When multiple players are listed at the same position, the first name represents the top selection. Players designated as slot wide receiver, slot cornerback, nose tackle or Sam linebacker were selected specifically for those roles rather than as the third-best player within their broader position group.