Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Seattle Seahawks entered the draft with a clear need to replace Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker after his recent departure.
- In a surprising move, the team used a first-round pick on Jadarian Price, a running back from Notre Dame, drawing immediate criticism for the reach.
- This selection marks the third time since 2010 that the Seahawks have used their top draft choice on a running back, a strategy that has yielded mixed results.
Replacing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker was something that the Seattle Seahawks needed to go in this year's NFL Draft, so the fact that they took a running back earlier than they should have isn't a shock. The problem is just that "earlier than they should have" should have meant reaching in the second round for someone in a running back class that's very shallow.
Instead, the team used a first-round pick on Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price, which was, uhh...not a very good value. And while I get that the defending champions didn't have a lot of holes to fill outside of running back, it still feels like an unnecessary reach.
The Seahawks took a first-round running back, again
This isn't the first time that John Schneider has reached for a running back. Since taking over as Seahawks GM in 2010, the team has drafted a running back with its first pick of the draft for the third time now, if we count 2013 when the Seahawks didn't have a first-round pick.
Year | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
2013 | 62 | Christine Michael |
2018 | 27 | Rashaad Penny |
2026 | 32 | Jadarian Price |
We can safely say that those first two did not work out. And hey — if you want to ignore Michael since he was picked at No. 62 overall, go ahead, but the Penny pick should have been a warning sign that kept the Seahawks from going running back here.
Penny spent five seasons in Seattle. I would characterize one of those seasons as good, as he rushed for 749 yards and six touchdown in 2021, his fourth season with the team. It took that long for Penny to make a real impact.
And here they go again. Price is an intriguing player, but he also spent his college career backing up Jeremiyah Love, the No. 3 pick in this draft, so I'm not sure we even know how good he is. Maybe he'll be a breakout star, but spending a first-rounder on a guy who wasn't his team's starter last season feels really rich.
Additionally, Price at Pick No. 32 is a reach even if Seattle was set on needing a running back. He isn't among the top 50 prospects on the FanSided big board, and ESPN has Price listed as its 50th overall player. Yes, this running back class is weak, so reaching for the No. 2 guy in it makes some sense, but there were better options here. Trading down, for example! Or waiting until the middle of the second round and trading up if he was still on the board! Or simply picking the best back available with the final pick in the second round. Price may have been gone by then, but I'd guess that Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. would still be on the board, and the value there would have made a ton more sense.
Before the draft, FanSided's Cody Williams mentioned Price at No. 32 as a worst-case scenario for the Seahawks. "Imagine," Williams wrote, "the Seahawks then reaching for the second-best running back in the class, Jadarian Price, despite him being a mid-Day 2 value on the board." Well, they did just that! Yes, Seattle needed to replace Walker, but overdrafting Price wasn't the best way to do that.
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