What If… the Seahawks Picked RB Tony Dorsett in the 1977 NFL Draft?

Hindsight is 20/20, but every NFL franchise has made regrettable decisions over the years they’d love to go back in time and remedy. In a 10-part series, the Seahawk Maven staff will take a closer look at some of the biggest “What If?” scenarios in Seahawks history and investigate how things could’ve played out in an alternate universe.

During their 43 years as a franchise, the Seahawks have developed a reputation for producing some of the NFL’s most potent rushing attacks, including leading the league with over 2,500 yards on the ground in 2018.

In total, six different running backs have surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in a single season playing in Seattle, with all but one of those players achieving the feat at least three times. Leading the way, Shaun Alexander eclipsed the century mark five consecutive seasons from 2001 to 2005. Chris Carson most recently surpassed the 1,000-yard threshold for a second straight season.

Despite this consistent success spanning multiple decades, however, Seattle struggled to establish a reliable run game during its first few years as a franchise. Lacking a true workhorse back behind a dreadful offensive line, the Seahawks finished 28th and 15th overall in rushing and won seven combined games during the 1976 and 1977 seasons.

Even as the team became slightly more competitive in the late 70s and early 80s, Seattle didn’t have a single rusher exceed 805 yards in a season until Curt Warner in 1983, the first time the franchise made the postseason.

Revisiting the 1977 NFL Draft, could the Seahawks have bolstered their run game and accelerated their ascent to contention in the AFC by drafting future Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett?

As expected from an expansion team, Seattle struggled mightily in its inaugural season in 1976, winning just two games and finishing dead last in the AFC West. Only winless Tampa Bay, another new franchise playing its first competitive season in the league, ended the season with a worse record.

Slated to pick second overall in the upcoming draft, the Seahawks had countless holes to fill on the roster, especially on the defensive side of the football. Coach Jack Patera’s squad surrendered a league-worst 429 points and desperately needed an infusion of talent at all three levels defensively.

Along with addressing the offensive line, running back remained an area of concern as well even after using a second-round pick on Sherman Smith just one year earlier. With a top-three pick in tow, Dorsett looked like a prime target.

Starring at Pittsburgh, Dorsett earned All-American honors three times in four seasons and won the Heisman Trophy as a senior with 2,150 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. Once it became clear the Buccaneers would take USC running back Ricky Bell first overall, the door opened for the Seahawks to snag the dynamic, home-run hitting runner as a cornerstone to build their offense around.

But there was only one problem – and a rather significant one at that. Dorsett had no interest playing in Seattle, reportedly writing a letter to team executives threatening to play in the CFL if the Seahawks picked him.

This development left general manager John Thompson in a major bind. If the Seahawks went ahead and drafted Dorsett, there was no guarantee he’d change his mind and sign with the team. And with so many other positions of need, they couldn’t afford such a fiasco to happen.

Bucking normal trends at the time, Thompson worked out a deal with Gil Brandt, the Vice President of Player Personnel and architect of the Cowboys dynasty in the 1970s. Seattle shipped the second overall pick to Dallas in exchange for a later first round selection as well as three second round selections, with the deal hinging on Dorsett being available.

Seattle wound up shipping one of those second round picks back to Dallas for a receiver, but with two additional picks in the top-90, Thompson now had ample draft ammunition to upgrade numerous positions.

Primarily focusing on improving their offensive line, the Seahawks used their acquired first round pick on tackle Steve August, drafted guard Tom Lynch in the second round, and added center John Yarno in the fourth round. All three players became valuable foundational pieces up front as the franchise achieved its first winning record in 1978 and became relevant in the AFC West for the first time.

As for Dallas, Brandt’s gamble paid off, as Dorsett instantly became a star playing for “America’s Team.” Though he only started four games as a rookie, he rushed for over 1,000 yards, scored 12 touchdowns, and helped the Cowboys capture their second Super Bowl title in a 27-10 win over the Broncos.

Dorsett rushed for over 12,700 yards and 77 touchdowns in his 12-year NFL career and surpassed the 1,000-plus yard mark eight times in his first nine seasons. He eventually was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994 and currently ranks 10th all-time in rushing yardage.

In retrospect, with such gaudy numbers and a bust in Canton, the Seahawks decision to bypass Dorsett may be viewed by some as one of the biggest blunders in franchise history.

But there’s no guarantee Dorsett would have been near as productive in Seattle, where he would’ve been forced to start his career running behind a makeshift offensive line and his elite talent wouldn't have masked the team's multitude of deficiencies. Given his stance on not playing in the Pacific Northwest, the team likely would’ve been forced to go a different direction if they kept the pick anyway.

Seeing Dorsett take handoffs from Jim Zorn and eventually Dave Krieg had the potential to be a franchise changer in Seattle. As one of the best backs in NFL history, maybe his transcendent talent pushes the team to the playoffs far earlier than 1983.

But without his success being assured and the front office still trying to lay the foundation for a winning team during the franchise’s infancy, Thompson and the Seahawks leveraged Dorsett’s threat into an excellent haul of draft picks in return and likely would make the same move again under similar circumstances.