Seahawks 1st-Rounder Jadarian Price To Take Kenneth Walker’s Role

The Seahawks surprised many observers by taking Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price with the No. 32 pick in April’s draft. The move, though, filled a major hole with Kenneth Walker now in Kansas City and Zach Charbonnet recovering from a torn ACL.

Charbonnet is expected to be sidelined well into the regular season, but Price will not have to take over Seattle’s backfield on his own. Instead, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, he will replace Walker, who was Seattle’s leading rusher over the last four years but saw a near-even snap split with Charbonnet in 2025. The pair also saw similar workloads; Walker averaged 13 carries and 14.8 touches per game, while Charbonnet averaged 11.5 and 12.8, respectively.

Price is seen as an excellent fit for new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury’s outside zone game, which was a staple at Notre Dame. Seahawks general manager JohnSchneider has praised his new draft pick’s athleticism and vision, two key traits for such a system.

Price is not yet a do-it-all back, though, so the Seahawks plan to spread Charbonnet’s responsibilities across the backfield. They signed former Packer Emanuel Wilson in free agency, likely to install the 226-pounder in Charbonnet’s power back role. 2024 UDFA George Holani saw increased pass protection responsibilities after Charbonnet went down in the playoffs and could earn a third down role for the 2026 season.

A timeshare is nothing new for Price, who played behind Cardinals No. 3 pick Jeremiyah Love for his entire time in South Bend. He still managed an efficient 6.1 yards per carry over the last two years, though he did not consistently contribute in the passing game. That is one way he can expand his skillset – and therefore his role – in Seattle in the long-term. In the immediate future, he could add some explosiveness to the Seahawks’ return game, though the team is already well-covered in that regard with Rashid Shaheed and Tory Horton already on the roster.