Seahawks Fireworks? Top 10 Explosive Playmakers in Franchise History
Since their inception in 1976, the Seattle Seahawks have had no shortage of star power at the skill positions, starting with Hall of Famer Steve Largent to MVP running back Shaun Alexander all the way to current receivers Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf.
Celebrating July 4 in style, using research courtesy of Pro Football Reference, here's a list of the 10-most explosive playmakers in Seahawks franchise history:
1. Daryl Turner, WR
Explosive Stat: Averaged 18.5 yards per reception in four-year career
Off-field issues ended up derailing Turner's career, but for a short time period, he was one of the NFL's most dynamic downfield weapons snagging passes from Dave Krieg. Earning the nickname "Burner" Turner, eight of his 36 touchdown receptions went for at least 40 yards, while 19 of them were at least 20 yards. He also led the NFL in touchdown receptions with 13 of them in 1985, with more than half of those scores going 30 or more yards. The flame flickered way too briefly, but in terms of efficiency, no player was more explosive in Seahawks history.
2. Joey Galloway, WR
Explosive Stat: 17 all-purpose touchdowns of 40-plus yards
Selected in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft, Galloway immediately became a star catching passes from Warren Moon, surpassing 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie and scoring eight touchdowns of at least 20 yards, including an 86-yard rushing touchdown and an 89-yard punt return for six. Though he could be a bit of feast-or-famine, he frequently found the end zone in a variety of ways, including returning four punts for touchdowns in five seasons with the Seahawks, staking his claim to the most explosive all-around threat in franchise history.
3. Shaun Alexander, RB
Explosive Stat: Franchise-record 16 touchdown runs of 20-plus yards
Alexander scored 100 rushing touchdowns in his career and nearly 20 percent of them were at least 20 yards on the ground, displaying underrated explosiveness.
© Howard Smith, USA TODAY
One of the elite backs from his era and the only MVP winner in Seattle's storied history, Alexander rushed for over 1,100 yards and scored at least 14 rushing touchdowns in five consecutive seasons from 2001 to 2005. Along the way, he scored on touchdowns of 40 or more yards eight times, including a pair of 88-yard touchdown runs. His 63 career runs of 20 or more yards is nearly twice as many as the next player on the franchise's list, further displaying his propensity for orchestrating the big play out of the backfield.
4. Steve Largent, WR
Explosive Stat: 33 touchdown receptions of 30-plus yards
Coming out of Tulsa, Largent wasn't known for his speed, quickness, or general athletic ability. But when he hung up his cleats after the 1989 season, he held all major receiving records, including most receptions, most receiving yards, and most touchdown receptions, turning in a remarkable Hall of Fame career. Longevity helped his cause in the explosives department, as he scored a whopping 14 touchdowns netting at least 40 yards in 14 seasons and finished with north of 18.5 yards per reception twice.
5. Dave Brown, CB
Explosive Stat: Five interceptions returned for touchdowns
Defensive players often aren't viewed as explosive playmakers, but Brown could change a game in an instant jumping routes and getting his hands on the football like few other defensive backs could. The franchise's all-time leader in interceptions, five of his 50 picks with the Seahawks were taken back to the house for six points, including two in one game in a victory over the Chiefs. His longest interception return came in that game, as he set the blowout in motion with a 90-yard pick six in the second quarter.
6. Tyler Lockett, WR
Explosive Stat: Nine offensive touchdowns of 50-plus yards
While Lockett has never produced yards per reception totals in a season like Turner and Largent did during their time in Seattle, the speedy wideout has been a prolific downfield threat since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2015. His eight touchdown receptions of 50 or more yards sits atop the franchise record books tied with Galloway and in addition, he has three kick/punt return touchdowns as well as a 75-yard touchdown run on his resume, securing his place among the most dangerous skill players in team history.
7. Doug Baldwin, WR
Explosive Stat: Second in franchise history with 112 receptions of 20-plus yards
While he wasn't a bona fide deep threat by any means, Doug Baldwin torched opposing defenses on intermediate routes and ranks second in Seahawks history in 20-plus yard catches.
Thriving as an undrafted free agent out of Stanford, Baldwin wasn't known for taking the top off of defenses as a vertical threat and only scored three touchdowns of 50 or more yards in his eight-year career. However, he was a chunk play maestro in the intermediate passing game, surpassing 110 career catches netting 20 or more yards with his smooth route running and underrated ability after the catch. He also scored 22 touchdowns of 20 or more yards, fourth-most behind Largent, Galloway, and Lockett, showing off far more explosive capabilities than advertised.
8. Chris Warren, RB
Explosive Stat: 15 all-purpose touchdowns of 20-plus yards
Several years before Alexander dominated the league, Warren put on an arguably more impressive show without a quarterback to complement him. Starring for several bad teams out of the backfield, he scored 12 rushing touchdowns netting 20 or more yards, the second-most behind Alexander in team history, while also displaying excellent versatility with two long touchdown receptions and a punt returned for six points. In eight seasons with the Seahawks, he scored 47 touchdowns and averaged over 1,000 yards from scrimmage per season.
9. Darrell Jackson, WR
Explosive Stat: Four touchdown receptions of 60-plus yards
Compared to Largent, Galloway, and Lockett, Jackson only had three seasons topping 1,000 yards and drops were a persistent issue for him throughout his career. However, he belongs in the discussion as one of Seattle's best vertical threats, catching 25 passes and scoring 13 touchdowns through the air of at least 40 yards, ranking third in franchise history behind Largent and Lockett in both categories. He also ranks fourth in team history in receptions of 20 or more yards.
10. Rashaad Penny, RB
Explosive Stat: 7.1 percent of carries went for 20-plus yards
Rashaad Penny never eclipsed 800 rushing yards in a season with the Seahawks due to frequent injuries, but he still ranks in the top five in franchise history for 20-plus yard runs with a much smaller carry total.
Some fans may be frustrated by Penny's inclusion on this list due to the constant injury issues that ultimately derailed his NFL career. But when healthy, a strong argument can be made that no back was more explosive in the past half decade, as he amassed 24 runs of 20 or more yards on just 337 carries. In comparison, Alexander didn't hit that total until midway through the 2003 season on over 800 carries. Sample size matters, but at the same time, there's no denying Penny belongs here for his insane explosive run rate over five seasons in Seattle.
Honorable Mention: DK Metcalf, Bobby Wagner, Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, Nate Burleson, Leon Washington
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