Two Notre Dame running backs will indeed come off the board in Round 1. Twenty-nine picks after Jeremiyah Love went to the Cardinals, his college backup will head elsewhere in the NFC West.
The Seahawks are taking Jadarian Price at No. 32 overall. Linked to the defending champions previously, Price is the second RB off the board in this class.
John Schneider, who has traded down in six separate first rounds over his first 15 drafts, expressed interest in doing so again. But Seattle was tied to Price late in the pre-draft process. With Kenneth Walker departing for Kansas City in free agency and Zach Charbonnet suffering an ACL tear in the divisional round, Seattle opted to ensure a high-end RB talent would arrive.
This marks the third time in five drafts the Seahawks have chosen a first- or second-round back, with Walker coming in 2022 and Charbonnet in ’23. Schneider also drafted Rashaad Penny in the 2018 first round. One season remains on Charbonnet’s rookie deal, but given the timing of his injury, a stay on the PUP list to start next season seems likely.
Playing second fiddle to Love all three years of his time in college, Price still made a name for himself by rushing for 1,692 yards and 21 touchdowns over his three years in South Bend. He averaged six yards per carry over the course of his career. Scouts saw Price maintain that maximum efficiency while operating on only 6.8 carries per game, keeping his legs much fresher than those of Love. Although Price did not offer much in the passing game compared to his dynamic RB mate, he enters the NFL on just 280 career carries. That will stand to help his NFL longevity, provided this pick pans out.
Seattle added ex-Green Bay RB Emanuel Wilson on a low-cost deal in free agency, but the runway appears clear for Price to team with Charbonnet. It is quite possible Price and Wilson will be the defending champs’ top RB tandem during the first half of the season. Charbonnet will need to display good form upon returning to fetch a notable free agency deal. While that injury represents poor timing for Charbonnet, Price stands to provide premium insurance while having a path toward a long-term Pacific Northwest stay (as this contract includes a fifth-year option for 2030).
Replaces Walker and gets to play against his friend and former teammate Love next couple years
Nice pick
Good player, but feels rich when there are good pass rushers on the board.
Would have liked an edge rusher or CB here. Being the -distant- second best with third best running back in this year’s class is kind of like getting silver in the Special Olympics.
Funny thing is he might end up being better than Love.
He’s definitely more likely to provide enough value to justify getting picked here than Love is at 3, that’s for sure.
I’m going to have to disagree on this one. I think Love is worth a top 5 pick – – strong runner, elusive, great speed, good receiver. He can even block But I don’t think it was a great pick for Arizona and I don’t think it’s a good spot for Love. Price may end up with better numbers next year…but I think that would be more due to the difference between Seattle and Arizona.