One of the biggest offseason decisions facing the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks is whether to re-sign running back Kenneth Walker III.
Should the Seahawks re-sign Walker? Barnwell’s take
Walker, who’s set to become a free agent for the first time, played the best football of his career down the stretch. From Week 16 through the Super Bowl, he totaled 771 yards from scrimmage, 5.2 yards per carry and five touchdowns over Seattle’s final six games – capped by a 161-yard performance that earned him Super Bowl MVP honors.
However, Walker’s value on the open market might end up being more than the Seahawks are willing to pay. The Athletic projects the average annual value of Walker’s next contract to be $13 million per year, which would make him the fifth-highest-paid running back in the NFL.
So, if the Seahawks don’t re-sign Walker, what does the running back class look like for April’s NFL Draft?
“It’s not exceptional,” NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter said Friday on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy. “You’re gonna find some mid-round guys that are gonna contribute. I mean, rookie running backs are going to step in and contribute. They have to on a lot of teams. So you’re gonna find some of those guys.
“But after Jeremiyah Love, probably no other first-round picks.”
As Reuter mentioned, Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love is expected to be the only running back drafted in the first round. In Reuter’s most recent mock draft, he projects Love to be selected with the No. 8 overall pick, long before the Seahawks are currently slated to pick at No. 32.
Aside from Love, Reuter’s mock draft has just three other running backs going in the first three rounds: Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price at No. 59 overall, Penn State’s Kaytron Allen at No. 74 and Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson at No. 97.
However, Reuter told Bump and Stacy that he likes what he’s seen from Johnson. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Nebraska star rushed for a Big Ten-leading 1,451 yards, 5.8 yards per carry and 12 touchdowns this past season, while adding 46 catches for 370 yards and three TDs. He finished second in the FBS with 1,821 yards from scrimmage.
The Seahawks currently hold the final pick of the second round (No. 64) and the fifth-to-last pick of the third round (No. 96).
“Emmett Johnson from Nebraska doesn’t have a big name nationally, but he’s really fun to watch,” Reuter said. “His combination of quickness and toughness is really, really good, and I think it could be a top-50 spot for him or late second round. And after some games in the NFL, people may ask, why did he even last that long?”
Hear the full conversation with NFL.com’s Chad Reuter at this link or in the audio player near the middle of this story. Tune into Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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