The Seahawks 2022 investment in Kenneth Walker III is paying off big time. The former Michigan State player and recipient of the esteemed Doak Walker Award, made an impressive impact during his rookie season. Stepping in for the injured Rashaad Penny, Walker swiftly seized the opportunity and immediately impressed the league as the second rookie ever to amass 1,000 rushing yards. Leading all NFL rookies in both rushing yards (1,050) and touchdowns (nine), Walker's exceptional performance earned him a well-deserved spot as a close runner-up in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race, despite garnering the highest number of first-place votes.
Although the Seahawks had incredible talent in KWIII, due to the departures of Rashaad Penny, who joined the Eagles, and Travis Homer, who signed with the Bears in free agency, they found themselves with a mere two running backs, namely Walker and DeeJay Dallas, on their roster leading up to the draft. Given this circumstance, it came as little surprise that the Seahawks prioritized addressing this position by utilizing not just one, but two of their ten draft picks.
In the draft, the Seattle Seahawks made a two-fold move to fortify their running game. First, they secured Zach Charbonnet with the second of their two second-round picks. Later on, they added Kenny McIntosh, a notably productive player from the SEC powerhouse Georgia, despite his draft stock being impacted by his own admission of underwhelming testing numbers during the pre-draft evaluations.
Carroll may find himself blessed with the highly sought-after dynamic duo this year. With Walker leading the way and continuing to shine as the team's key back, and Charbonnet, a robust and physically imposing back who accumulated an impressive 2,496 yards and 27 touchdowns during his two seasons at UCLA, averaging an impressive 7.0 yards per carry last year, the Seahawks have the potential to possess an enviable one-two punch in their running game.
When asked about the addition of Charbonnet, Carroll told reporters, "I really like the versatility, because he can block, can catch the ball out of the backfield, he's good in the screen game, he makes big plays, and he's been the workhorse, so I think he will be a great complement to Ken. I got Ken on the phone just to talk to him about that, how much we see them fitting together. I'm pretty excited about this one."
The two may be the perfect combo for Seattle. Walker with explosive speed and consistent capabilities of delivering big plays, and Charbonnet with a different dimension to the position as a larger back, showcasing both his ability to catch passes and his physicality.
