|
RENTON, Wash. -- Offensive tackle Russell Okung became the fourth Seattle Seahawks player to make ESPN.com’s countdown of the top 100 NFL players on offense and defense. Okung, 25, is listed at No. 65 overall on offense. He’s starting his fifth NFL season as Seattle’s starting left tackle. He made the Pro Bowl in 2012, but missed half of last season with a torn ligament in a big toe. Okung (6-foot-5, 310 pounds) played well in the final nine games last season, even though his foot was not healed. He had offseason surgery to repair the ligament and returned to practice last week. Okung, a first-round draft choice out of Oklahoma State in 2010, is one of the best left tackles in the league when he’s healthy, but staying healthy has plagued his career so far. When he's on the field, he clearly makes a difference. ESPN Stats & Information came up with this tidbit: In the past two seasons, quarterback Russell Wilson was sacked on 7.2 percent of his dropbacks when Okung was on the field, compared to 9.4 percent when Okung was not on the field. The other three Seahawks who appeared on the countdown earlier were defensive tackle Brandon Mebane (No. 94), linebacker/defensive end Bruce Irvin (No. 87) and center Max Unger (No. 84).
|
