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NFL Rankings: Top 10 seasons by a rookie QB

By Phil Watson

Dan Marino might have been the last of the first round picks in the famous 1983 quarterback draft, but he was the first to shine in the NFL.
Dan Marino might have been the last of the first round picks in the famous 1983 quarterback draft, but he was the first to shine in the NFL. /
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Russell Wilson was an afterthought in a vaunted quarterback draft class in 2012. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Russell Wilson was an afterthought in a vaunted quarterback draft class in 2012. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks, 2012

In a draft loaded with big-name first-round picks, Russell Wilson flew underneath the radar. The Seahawks took him with the 75th overall pick in the third round after his lone season at Wisconsin, where he transferred as a graduate after playing three years at North Carolina State.

Wilson also spent a couple of years as a minor-league second baseman in the Colorado Rockies organization before opting to focus on football.

Wilson beat out high-priced free agent Matt Flynn for the starting job in training camp and led the Seahawks to an 11-5 record and a wild-card berth.

He completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 3,118 yards and 26 touchdowns with 10 interceptions and he ran for 489 yards and four more scores.

In the playoffs, Wilson threw for 187 yards and a touchdown in a Wild Card Playoff win at Washington and had 385 yards, two touchdowns and an interception along with 60 yards rushing and a touchdown in a Divisional Playoff loss at Atlanta.

During the regular season, Wilson reached his season-high of 293 yards twice—in a 24-23 win over the Patriots on Oct. 14 and again in a 23-17 win at Chicago on Dec. 2.

His most efficient game came in a 20-13 win over the Rams on Dec. 30, when he was 15-for-19 for 250 yards and a touchdown.

Wilson’s passer rating of 100.0 compared to the league collective rating of 85.5.

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