Kenneth Walker III went from second-round draft find in 2022 to surpassing the century mark, which ended a two-season streak of not producing a 1,000-yard rusher for the Seattle Seahawks. But is his job already being threatened by the arrival of another second-rounder for the upcoming NFL season?
Who Will Be RB1 in Seattle?
Now entering the picture for the 2023 Seahawks is Zach Charbonnet out of UCLA — one of the more highly-touted running backs of this draft class who was lauded for his north-south running ability — making him a complementary option…
Or is Charbonnet coming in to become the new “beast mode” in the Pacific Northwest?
The powerhouse 6’1″, 220-pound Charbonnet comes with the old school physical brutality that made Marshawn Lynch revered in front of the “12th man” crowd. Charbonnet did his best work going between the tackles and leaving a trail of fallen defenders who either dove at him or were flattened out by the Bruin.
Seattle fans have longed for the earthquake runs Lynch provided. Charbonnet has the potential to reawaken the tectonic plates in Seattle’s backfield. He was even called “the next Marshawn Lynch” during his prep days at Oaks Christian in Westlake Village, California.
MORE: 2024 FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator (With Trades)
But is Pete Carroll on to something in bringing in Charbonnet, which points to a potential heated backfield battle? Carroll addressed that with Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy on Monday.
“He’s so versatile. He just will fit in and be a great addition,” Carroll began. “And really, we’re gonna find out how far he can take it in terms of the receiving part of it. We know he’s really good at it. But so is Kenneth, so those guys will be battling.”
Carroll adds that Charbonnet and Walker won’t be the only ones battling for handoffs.
“And we also went all the way down to get Kenny McIntosh because of his versatility. There’s so many positives about these guys,” he said.
How Deep Will Seahawks Backfield Be?
If anything, the Seahawks could also provide this flashback from their early runs under Carroll: A 1-2 tandem.
Lynch was the bell-cow back. But, Robert Turbin was the speed asset who helped keep the native of East Oakland fresh. Turbin, who won the 2014 Super Bowl alongside Lynch and company, went on to average more than four yards a carry in three of his first four NFL seasons.
But even in the post-Lynch universe in Seattle, Carroll was using two backs, with one handling the inside work and the other attacking the outsides. His 2019 tandem was Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny — the former the 1,230-yard interior smasher at 5’11”, 220 pounds, and the latter averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
Penny has since moved on to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he’ll join draft trade addition D’Andre Swift in that reloaded backfield. Penny is taking with him an average of 6.1 yards per carry from 2022.
MORE: Ranking Every NFL Team’s Offseason
The need to fill backfield depth came into play for Seattle, and they addressed it by adding a powerfully-built option from the Golden State.
“I have so much respect for that position and so much regard for what that weighs into our football team and how we play and the mentality and all of that. It’s a really important spot for me, too,” Carroll said to Seattle Sports. “We do a nice job … We’ve had some terrific guys over the years, and I think we just put this class back together in a really good spot for this position.”
But again, the leading rusher from Seattle’s playoff run and the newest second-round back will be battling, as Carroll said. And the newcomer has recreated the whispers of “beast mode” in the Emerald City.