12. Russell Wilson

Team: Seattle Seahawks

Position: QB

Experience: 7 Years

Russell Wilson was selected in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. The Seattle Seahawks had just given free-agent quarterback Matt Flynn a $26 million contract and Wilson was looked at as taking a chance as opposed to a potential starter. However, before the end of the preseason, the undersized Wilson had beat out Flynn and was named the team’s starting quarterback. He started every game as a rookie and was named to the Pro Bowl in his first year. The Virginia native has not looked back since then.

At 5’11”, Wilson is one of the few sub-six-foot players to have success at the quarterback position. He’s made five Pro Bowls total, has not missed a single start in seven seasons and has split his two Super Bowl appearances (won SB XLVII, lost Super Bowl XLIX). In spite of his lack of height, Wilson has easily been one of the best players in the league. In six of his seven seasons as a starter, the Seahawks have won double-digit games—in the one year they didn’t (2017) they won nine. At the end of the day, a quarterback is ultimately judged by one thing, wins. Wilson’s 75-36-1 record looks pretty good compared to his peers.

Under Pete Carroll, Seattle has been known more for its aggressive defense (see: Legion of Boom) and run-first approach (see: Marshawn Lynch). During the team’s early success, Wilson didn’t receive much credit. Instead, those other two parts of the team were championed as the reason why they had made such a quick turnaround. Yet, as the Legion of Boom disassembled and Lynch left, the one constant remained is the quarterback. In 2017 his 34 touchdown passes led the league and he followed that up by throwing a career-high 35 last season as an encore.

With a quarterback as good as Wilson it would be assumed that the smart thing to do would be to let Wilson throw as often as he could. However, after back-to-back seasons of 500-plus pass attempts, his total dipped down to 427. The run game is still the backbone for Carroll’s offensive attack. This still benefits Wilson as he is one of the best play-action and bootleg quarterbacks in the league today. Getting him on the move not only allows him to use his legs as a threat but also helps to get him a clearer picture of the field away from the offensive and defensive linemen.

Passing has grown to become a big part of the modern NFL. Though the Seahawks offense hasn’t fully caught up to the times, they have one of the premier players at a position of need. Wilson’s presence on their roster makes them a playoff-caliber team year-in and year-out. This season, the team hopes it can unseat the reigning NFC champions, the Los Angeles Rams, and reclaim supremacy over the NFC West that they used to rule easily. Another Pro Bowl—maybe a potential MVP year—is what is needed of Wilson and so far he’s come up big for the Seahawks each year.