How will Seahawks fill RB depth in deep draft class?

By Bob Condotta / The Seattle Times

SEATTLE — There were a few raised eyebrows when the Seahawks drafted running back Kenneth Walker III in the second round of the 2022 draft at 41st overall.

Sports Illustrated, to cite one example, called it “one of the more surprising moves of the first three rounds” of the draft.

But the Seahawks knew then what was confirmed a few months later — that Chris Carson’s career was effectively over.

They also knew it isn’t easy getting through a 17-game season at running back, which proved true anew when Rashaad Penny was lost for the year in the third quarter of the fifth game.

So now, while Walker has established himself, there are a few other question marks at running back, and not a lot of depth, with Seattle having seen Penny and Travis Homer sign elsewhere while not having added anyone from the outside.

As we continue our draft previews, let’s take a closer look at the running back position:

Projected starter: Kenneth Walker III.

Backups: DeeJay Dallas.

Key offseason losses: Rashaad Penny (signed with Eagles as free agent), Travis Homer (Bears), Darwin Thompson (released Monday).

Overview

Yep, a team that openly states at every turn the importance of the running game has just three running backs on its roster as the draft nears.

You know all about Walker, and Seattle is obviously counting on him to be even better as a sophomore in 2023 than he was in 2022 when he became the only rookie in franchise history other than Ring of Honor member Curt Warner to rush for 1,000 or more yards in his first year.

Dallas enters the final season of his rookie deal likely ticketed to be the third-down/two-minute back and a dependable backup.

Seattle may also want Thompson to return at some point. He has played in 26 NFL games with the Chiefs (as well as a Super Bowl) and rushed for 72 yards on 16 carries in the preseason last year before then spending the season on the practice squad.

Seahawks general manager John Schneider also said at the league meetings last month that the team hopes to re-sign Godwin Igwebuike, who came on late last season to emerge as the team’s best kickoff returner and get a few carries at running back (Igwebuike was not given a qualifying offer as an exclusive-rights free agent and remains unsigned).

So the Seahawks could consider him as a fourth player on the roster at running back, assuming they are confident that will get done.

But, the Seahawks said they hoped Penny would come back, indicating they were also hoping to have a pretty substantial 1-2 punch.

That they may not necessarily have that right now lends credence to the idea that they could again draft a running back.

Seattle hasn’t been shy about drafting RBs — the Seahawks have taken at least one in every draft since 2015, the exception being 2021 when they had just three picks.

And in three of the last five drafts the Seahawks have taken a running back in the fourth round or higher — Penny in the first in 2018, Dallas in the fourth in 2020 and Walker in the second a year ago.

Seattle also returns Nick Bellore at fullback for the few plays a year it uses one — he played just 17 offensive snaps last season, used mostly on special teams (352) and also some at linebacker (nine).

Potential draft fits

The good news is that despite a few running backs who could have come out staying in college, this is still regarded as a deep class — Lindy’s gave it an “A” grade in its draft preview.

That might make it further likely Seattle would wait to the middle or late rounds to draft a running back and try to replicate the kind of success it had with Carson in the seventh round in 2017, especially after spending pretty considerable draft capital last year on Walker.

But, surprises happen, as the Seahawks showed a year ago.

Here’s a look at a few possibilities:

— Bijan Robinson, Texas: OK, so it seems unlikely Seattle would spend a first-rounder on an RB with Walker in the fold — and that’s what will be necessary to get Robinson, generally regarded as one of the safest picks in the draft at any position after starring the last two years with the Longhorns for former Husky coach Steve Sarkisian. But then Pete Carroll has always wanted to recreate the backfield he had at USC with LenDale White and Reggie Bush, so maybe you never know.

— Zach Charbonnet, UCLA: With Seattle having five picks in the top 83, someone like Charbonnet — who some project in the second but others a little later — might be more realistic. Charbonnet said he had a formal meeting with the Seahawks at the combine, so he’s on their radar. And he could be a good replacement for Homer as both a complement to Walker and as a third-down back — he caught 61 passes the last two years in Chip Kelly’s UCLA offense, also impressing as a blocker.

— Chris Rodriguez Jr., Kentucky: When the Seahawks attended the pro day for Kentucky QB Will Levis they also surely checked out Rodriguez, regarded as one of the best between-the-tackle runners in the draft. “A village is required to bring him down between the tackles,” wrote Lindy’s. He also dispelled some questions about his speed with a 4.52 40 at his pro day. And he has experience in the Sean McVay offense that the Seahawks use a lot when Liam Coen was UK’s offensive coordinator — Coen was a Rams offensive assistant from 2018-20 when current Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was on the staff there before spending the 2021 season as OC at Kentucky.

— Devon Achane, Texas A&M: If the Seahawks are looking for pure speed — and hey, who isn’t? — Achane could be their guy. He was clocked in 4.32 in the 40 at the combine, the fastest of any running back. But his size — 5-8 1/2, 185 pounds — leads to questions about how durable he’ll be and if he can be an every-down back. Achane, though, has shown good receiving ability — 60 catches the past two seasons — and has been a solid kickoff returner, returning one for a TD each of the past two years, so there’s a lot to like.