Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin has once again been recognized by his peers as one of the best players in the league. For the third straight year, Baldwin cracked the NFL Network's Top 100 Players list, checking in at No. 99 this year.
Last season, Baldwin was No. 88 on the list, one of eight Seahawks on the Top 100, the most in the NFL.
Baldwin caught 75 passes for 991 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2017, marking the fourth straight season he has been Seattle's leading receiver. In January, Baldwin represented the Seahawks in the Pro Bowl for the second straight year.
"He is a phenomenal catcher and he's tough and he can find out how to get that extra yard; he's got all that stuff going for him," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said last season. "He is a fantastic player… There is nobody quicker than he is. There is nobody that can shake you at the line of scrimmage and get in and out of his breaks quicker than Doug. He is as fast as you can get. That is why he is one of the best in the NFL."
Added quarterback Russell Wilson, "I don't think anybody can cover him. He's so fast, he's so quick, he's explosive, he can get down the field, there's a lot of things that he can do. I think that he's a competitor; third down is about competing and finding a way to make a play, and that's usually the case. Doug is a guy that you rely on, you know that you can trust, and he's going to do it right, and he's going to get open fast and he's going to make a play."
In addition to being one of his team's best players and an on-field leader, Baldwin has continued to be one of the Seahawks' best examples of how a player can use his platform off the field. Baldwin co-wrote a letter with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell that was sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee, calling for criminal justice reform. Baldwin also helped support Initiative 940, which called for "law enforcement to receive violence de-escalation, mental-health, and first-aid training, and provide first-aid; and change standards for use of deadly force, adding a 'good faith' standard and independent investigation." In March, Governor Jay Inslee signed 940 into law. Baldwin also helped lead the way in the creation of the Seahawks Players Equality & Justice for All Action Fund, which in December announced its first seven grants. The Seahawks Players Action Fund last week announced it was partnering with Pearl Jam in the Seattle band’s effort to fight homelessness.
Baldwin was the only current Seahawks player named to the list on Monday, but also unveiled at No. 89 was tight end Jimmy Graham, who spent the past three seasons in Seattle before signing with Green Bay as a free agent this offseason. Graham had 57 catches for 520 yards last season, as well as 10 touchdowns, a franchise record for a tight end. Former Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin, the team's first-round pick in 2012, also made this year's Top 100 at No. 85.
Here's the full list of players unveiled Monday night:
100. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix – Green Bay Packers, S
99. Doug Baldwin – Seattle Seahawks, WR
98. C.J. Mosley – Baltimore Ravens, LB
97. Carlos Hyde – Cleveland Browns, RB
96. Malcolm Jenkins – Philadelphia Eagles, S
95. Lane Johnson – Philadelphia Eagles, OT
94. Kirk Cousins – Minnesota Vikings, QB
93. Mike Daniels – Green Bay Packers, DT
92. Landon Collins – New York Giants, S
91. David Bakhtiari – Green Bay Packers, OT
90. Jimmy Garoppolo – San Francisco 49ers, QB
89. Jimmy Graham – Green Bay Packers, TE
88. Yannick Ngakoue – Jacksonville Jaguars, DE
87. Andrew Whitworth – Los Angeles Rams, OT
86. Chris Harris Jr. – Denver Broncos, CB
85. Bruce Irvin – Oakland Raiders, LB
84. J.J. Watt – Houston Texans, DE
83. Linval Joseph – Minnesota Vikings, DT
82. Marshon Lattimore – New Orleans Saints, CB
81. Michael Thomas – New Orleans Saints, WR
