Seahawks Continue to Be Disrespected in Annual Top 100 Rankings
As former All-Pro safety Earl Thomas once infamously posted on Instagram, the disrespect has been noted when it comes to the 2022 version of the Seahawks.
Only a few days after NFL Network's Top 100 list featured just one Seahawk - safety Quandre Diggs coming in at No 72 - ESPN's annual rankings took a shot at the team as well with receiver DK Metcalf being the only player to make the list at No. 51 overall. In both instances, Tyler Lockett didn't make either ranking despite posting three straight 1,000-yard seasons and safety Jamal Adams wasn't included either.
With Russell Wilson now slinging the pigskin in the Mile High City as a member of the Broncos and Bobby Wagner residing with a different team in the NFC West, expectations remain low for coach Pete Carroll's squad after a tumultuous offseason. On paper, especially coming off a winless exhibition schedule, this team doesn't look like a playoff contender in the rugged NFC West.
But even in the aftermath of Wilson and Wagner's departure, it's hard to fathom how any legitimate ranking of the NFL's top 100 players wouldn't feature at least three Seahawks considering the proven All-Pro and Pro Bowl-caliber talent remaining at receiver and safety still on the roster.
In the case of Metcalf and Lockett, those who were polled for these rankings seem to be discounting them based solely on the fact Wilson won't be throwing passes to them anymore. And, yes, with Geno Smith as the starting quarterback, both of them likely will see a decline in overall production.
But Metcalf and Lockett are the only pair of teammates in the NFL over the past three years to amass over 200 receptions, more than 3,100 receiving yards, and more than 25 receiving touchdowns. They are elite talents in their own right and at least in the case of Metcalf, he played well with Smith under center last year, catching four touchdowns in four games and posting two of his top three receiving yardage totals in games started by the veteran signal caller in place of Wilson.
Based on their numbers over an extended period of time, there's no reason why Metcalf and Lockett shouldn't both be cemented in the top 100 players in the sport. The same could be said for Diggs, who has been criminally underrated for several years running as the most productive ball hawking safety in the league.
Since arriving in a midseason trade with Detroit in 2019, Diggs has recorded 13 interceptions in just 38 regular season games, including leading Seattle with five picks in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He earned Pro Bowl honors both of those campaigns, but somehow didn't earn a First or Second-Team All-Pro selection despite his outstanding production.
Dating back to 2017, Diggs is the only player in the NFL with at least three interceptions in each of the past five seasons. During that span, he ranks fourth overall in interceptions and second amongst safeties behind only Titans star Kevin Byard, further illustrating his consistent excellence.
As for Adams, his exclusion may be a bit more understandable coming off a down season in which he didn't register a single sack and missed the final five games with a torn labrum in his shoulder. Still, he's a multi-time All-Pro selection and broke the sacks record for defensive backs only one year earlier, so it wouldn't have been a surprise for him to be included in the rankings.
Considering they are entering a rebuild, it shouldn't shock anyone the Seahawks aren't receiving much attention from national media and these rankings shouldn't be taken too seriously to begin with. They are assembled to spark discussion and debate and get fans talking leading up to a new season and the NFL and ESPN never fall short of achieving their goal once the lists are revealed.
Nonetheless, any top 100 player listing that doesn't include the trio of Metcalf, Lockett, and Diggs shouldn't be viewed with any sense of legitimacy. Even given the state of the franchise without Wilson or Wagner, the Seahawks still have plenty of star power that simply isn't accurately reflected in either ranking.
