Rashaad Penny is already surprising Seahawks coaches
When the Seattle Seahawks drafted Rashaad Penny they knew he could run the football. They didn’t know what a complete back the rookie already is.
The fact that Rashaad Penny rushed for over 2200 yards as a senior at San Diego State gave the Seahawks coaching staff a pretty good idea he could run the football. That’s why they spent a first round pick to make him their starter for the 2018 season. What Pete Carroll and company didn’t know, is that Penny is also ready to pass block at a high level.
That fact is going to make it very easy for Seattle to give Penny lots of snaps as a rookie. Carroll recently told reporters that pass protection was largely a “new concept” for his talented rookie, but the coaching staff is already confident he can “be fine in that area.”
Typically, picking up blitzes out of the backfield is a big reason why some rookie running backs ride the bench early in their careers. The fact that Penny has already proven he can overcome this obstacle, is a clear sign he’ll gets lots of carries in Seattle this season. The coaching staff is also high on Chris Carson’s potential, but they didn’t spend a first-round pick on Penny to leave him on the sidelines. Seahawks fans and potential fantasy owners should expect him to play a meaningful role in the Seattle rushing attack this season.
The real question about Penny’s effectiveness in 2018 lies ahead of him with the Seahawks’ offensive line. The team has spent a lot of high draft capital to rebuild the group, but it still enters next season as a huge question mark. If they can’t create lanes for Penny to run through he’s going to have a difficult time meeting the expectations placed on him as a first round draft pick.
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No matter how you slice it, the news that Penny is already a proficient pass blocker is a huge plus for the Seahawks offense. Now he can be trusted to play on any down. Putting him on the field won’t tip off opposing defenses that it’s an automatic run. Seattle fans should be excited to see what he can add to the offense in 2018.