Washington football's best NFL Draft picks from the last 10 years

The Washington football program has produced a lot of NFL talent over the years and they are about to do it again this year.

With the 2024 NFL Draft a week away, I wanted to reflect on the Huskies' best draft picks of the last 10 years to identify a top five. Narrowing down the list hasn't been easy given the amount of NFL talent the UW has produced over the years.

Honorable Mentions:

CB Trent McDuffie (2022)

27 games, 14 PD, 6 FF, 4 sacks, 124 tackles, 4 TFL, 10 QB hits

Trent McDuffie is one of the newest NFL stars in the making to come from Washington's DBU. He already has two Super Bowl wins in his first two seasons in the league and he didn't get those just being a floater on the team, as he rightfully earned his place.

• 2× Super Bowl champion (LVII, LVIII)
• First-team All-Pro (2023)

CB Byron Murphy (2019)

70 games, 8 INT, 47 PD, 2 FF, 3 sacks, 286 tackles, 13 TFL, 4 QB Hits

Byron Murphy, just 26 years old, has had an incredibly solid career and still has much room to grow. Initially selected by the Arizona Cardinals in 2019, he subsequently joined the Minnesota Vikings in 2023 as a free agent, bolstering their struggling secondary.

Washington football's best NFL Draft picks from the last 10 years

5. DT Vita Vea (2018)

79 games, 3 FF, 23.5 sacks, 180 tackles, 31 TFL, 53 QB Hits

Vita Vea is a solid defensive tackle and is one of the better run defenders in the NFL. He has become a key piece of the Tampa Bay Buccaneer's defense as a run-stopper and pass-rusher. He had a season-high of 6.5 sacks in 2022.

• Super Bowl LV Champion
• 1x Pro Bowl

4. S Taylor Rapp (2019)

73 games, 10 INT, 25 PD, 1 FF, 280 tackles, 9 TFL, 6 QB Hits

I feel like Taylor Rapp is an underrated selection here. He's been a strong performer as an NFL player and even has one Super Bowl win with the Los Angeles Rams.

Rapp signed with the Bills in free agency last year and is quickly growing to find himself a leader on Buffloe's defense.

• Super Bowl LVI Champion

3. LB Shaq Thompson (2015)

119 games, 3 INT, 4 FF, 12 sacks, 717 tackles, 52 TFL, 31 QB hits

Shaq Thompson doesn't get enough recognition for the kind of player he is. He's never been an All-Pro or Pro Bowler but has been a stable
safety-linebacker hybrid for the Carolina Panthers's defense since they drafted him 25th overall in 2015.

2. CB Marcus Peters (2015)

116 games, 33 INT, 97 PD, 11 FF, 2.0 sacks, 389 tackles, 9 TFL, 3 QB hits

Marcus Peters was dismissed from Washington football mid-way through 2014, however, I still wanted to include him because he played 34 games with the program. There haven't been many cornerbacks better than Marcus Peters yet his behavior issues have stood in the way of him making a true legacy.

• NFL Defensive Rookie of The Year
• 2x First-team All-Pro
• 2x Second-team All-Pro
• 3x Pro Bowler
• NFL Interceptions leader (2015)
• PFWA All-Rookie Team

1. S Budda Baker (2017)

105 games, 10 INT, 34 PD, 6 FF, 7.5 sacks, 737 total tackles, 37 TFL, 15 QB Hits

Budda Baker is the best NFL Draft pick to come out of the University of Washington in the last 10 years and is one of the most accomplished. Despite not having any Super Bowl wins, Baker has been an incredibly impactful player for the Arizona Cardinals.

• 6x Pro Bowler
• 2x First-Team All-Pro
• Second-Team All-Pro
• PFWA All-Rookie Team