Texas Football: PFT ranks Earl Thomas as top NFL safety of the decade

Pro Football Talk had a prestigious spot for a former Texas football safety on their list of the best of the last decade, with Earl Thomas of the Ravens.

All of the all-decade lists that dropped from various media outlets should continue on into the long NFL and college football offseason. But the Texas football program did have one very notable alumni mentioned in an all-decade list based around the NFL on Feb. 18.

Josh Alper of NBC Sports Pro Football Talk released his list of the top 10 safeties of the last decade in the NFL on Tuesday. That list from Alper included former Texas Longhorns football All-American safety Earl Thomas at the very top.

Thomas spent all of his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens. He was signed by the Ravens last offseason after a lengthy tenure under former USC Trojans head coach Pete Carroll with the Seahawks.

Here’s what Alper of NBC Sports Pro Football Talk had to say on the matter of where he ranked Thomas.

"Thomas anchored the best secondary of the decade during his time in Seattle and has a Super Bowl ring to show for their efforts. Thomas was named a first-team All-Pro three times during his run in Seattle and made an impact across the board, but especially in the passing game. He ranks third among all players in interceptions since 2010 and his play with the Ravens this season shows that there will be more to come."

The safeties that were ranked on the list behind Thomas included Eric Weddle of the Ravens and San Diego Chargers, Devin McCourty of the New England Patriots, Kam Chancellor of the Seahawks, and Eric Berry of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Over the course of his of his 10-year long NFL career between the Ravens and Seahawks, Thomas has seven Pro Bowl selections, three All-Pro honors, and one Super Bowl. He holds 30 career interceptions, 71 pass deflections, 12 forced fumble, three defensive touchdowns, and 713 combined tackles. All that amounts to an insane approximate value rating of 92 over the course of his NFL career.

Thomas is the only former Longhorn on the list of the top 10 safeties of the decade. He was originally selected in the first round, 14th overall, of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Seahawks. He’s now 30 years old and could still have a lot of good years left in the NFL.