RENTON, Wash. (AP) — A look at the top five players right now in the Seattle Seahawks secondary reveals a truth about why their defense has been so successful.
The Seahawks (12-2) have an uncanny knack for finding players in the later rounds of the draft and being able to develop them into starters.
Four of the top five players in Seattle’s secondary were drafted in the fifth or sixth rounds. Cornerback Richard Sherman and strong safety Kam Chancellor were fifth-round selections. Cornerbacks Byron Maxwell and Jeremy Lane were each taken in the sixth round.
Free safety Earl Thomas is the outlier: He was a first-round pick in 2010.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll says it’s a combination of scouting and coaching that’s allowed the Seahawks to turn these late picks into productive starters.
