The 5 Best Washington NFL Players of All Time

Steve Emtman was a central figure on Washington's defense during its perfect 1991 season and shared national championship. Playing defensive tackle, he won both the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award and finished fourth in Heisman voting. Those honors marked the peak of his college career before he became the first overall pick in the 1992 draft.

Emtman's Washington ranking case is unusually concentrated in the alignment of individual and team achievement. The major line awards recognize his work in the trenches, while the Heisman finish shows that his impact received broader attention. Most importantly for a school-focused ranking, those distinctions came during a championship season. His professional selection is a secondary endpoint to a college résumé already defined by substantial accomplishments.

Warren Moon arrived at Washington from junior college and led the Huskies to a Rose Bowl victory over Michigan to close the 1977 season. He earned the game's MVP award, giving his Washington career a distinctive postseason highlight. His professional path began in Canada after he went undrafted and eventually led to the Hall of Fame.

For this ranking, the Rose Bowl should remain the center of Moon's Washington story rather than simply an early chapter in his professional success. The victory supplies a major team accomplishment, and the MVP honor directly connects him to it. His college case is therefore strongest as an account of a defining postseason peak, with his later career adding perspective rather than replacing the substance of his Huskies contribution.

Michael Penix Jr. transferred to Washington from Indiana after multiple major injuries and made passing production central to his two seasons in Seattle. His 2023 campaign brought a second-place Heisman finish, an undefeated regular season, and a Pac-12 championship. He also led the Huskies to a Sugar Bowl victory over Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinal.

Penix's Washington case rests on the scale of his impact during a brief stay, not on longevity within the program. His Heisman recognition identifies the individual peak, while the conference championship and playoff victory connect it to team achievement. That combination gives his ranking argument substance beyond passing volume: his most celebrated season helped place Washington in the national championship picture.

Lincoln Kennedy supplied Washington with an imposing, athletic presence at offensive tackle during a stretch that included three consecutive Rose Bowl appearances. In 1992, he earned consensus All-America honors and won the Morris Trophy as the Pac-10's best offensive lineman. He then became a top-ten selection in the 1993 draft, following a college career with both team accomplishments and individual recognition.

Kennedy's place here highlights the offensive line's contribution to Washington's sustained success. The repeated Rose Bowl trips provide a broader backdrop than one decorated season, while his conference award and national honors establish a distinct individual peak. His size and athleticism help describe the player, but that combination of continued team achievement and recognized line play supplies the stronger ranking argument.

Napoleon Kaufman's Washington career stretched from a role on the 1991 national championship team as a freshman to becoming the offense's focal point as a senior. He surpassed 1,300 rushing yards in that final season and left as the school's career rushing leader. Known for his quickness, the running back became a first-round selection by the Raiders in 1995.

Kaufman's ranking case is built around progression and career production rather than a single award-winning peak. His championship-team involvement establishes an early contribution, while his later offensive role shows how his importance grew. The school rushing record ties those stages together, providing concrete evidence of his cumulative value. For Washington, that combination makes his college career significant in its own right, apart from the professional transition.