Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. during the NFL scouting combine.
The Seattle Seahawks have said the right things about their current running back room. They have also kept looking.
That is what makes Mike Washington Jr. a name worth watching in Seattle right now.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Washington has an upcoming visit with the Seahawks after already meeting with the Falcons, with the Packers and Buccaneers also on his schedule. For a team still trying to replace Kenneth Walker III’s explosiveness, that is not a minor detail.
Walker’s departure in free agency changed the shape of Seattle’s backfield, and the uncertainty around Zach Charbonnet only sharpened the need. Charbonnet tore his ACL in Seattle’s divisional-round win over the 49ers, did not have surgery until February, and Mike Macdonald said this week that while “Zach’s a great player, he’s not going to miss the whole year,” a return for the start of the season appears unlikely.
Jordan Schultz
Sources: Arkansas RB Mike Washington Jr. has completed a 30-visit with the #Falcons.
I’m told he has upcoming visits in the next two weeks with the #Bucs, #Packers and #Seahawks. The 6-1, 223-pounder ran a blazing 4.33 40 at the Combine and is projected as a Day 2 pick.
Mike Macdonald likes Seattle’s backs, but the need has not disappeared
Macdonald did not sound alarmed when he addressed the position earlier this week. In fact, he pushed back on the idea that Seattle is empty at running back.
“I think people are kind of sleeping on the running backs we have,” Macdonald said. Seahawks.com noted the current group includes Charbonnet, George Holani, Kenny McIntosh, Jarcadia Wright, Cam Akers and free-agent addition Emanuel Wilson.
That confidence is real, but so is the context.
Charbonnet’s timetable remains a major part of the conversation, and Seattle already lost its most established home-run threat when Walker left. Earlier in the offseason, John Schneider made it clear the Seahawks would have preferred to keep him, saying, “We’d love to have Ken back.”
That is why a visit with Washington matters. Seattle may like the room, but it is still doing work on backs who could change it.
Mike Washington Jr. brings the kind of juice Seattle lost
Washington is not getting attention just because he is another draft-eligible runner on the visit circuit. He is getting attention because he has rare speed for his size and real production to match it.
At the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, Washington ran an official 4.33-second 40-yard dash, the fastest mark among running backs. NFL.com also highlighted his 39-inch vertical and noted he has pushed himself into the mix as a possible Day 2 selection after a strong Senior Bowl and combine performance.
The Arkansas tape backs that up. In 2025, Washington rushed 167 times for 1,070 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 28 catches for 226 yards and another score. Arkansas’ official bio says he started all 12 games and became the 16th player in program history to post a 1,000-yard rushing season.
That profile is what makes the Seahawks fit easy to understand.
Seattle does not just need a body for camp. It needs speed. It needs a back who can threaten chunk plays, take pressure off the passing game and give the offense some of the burst it lost when Walker walked away.
Why this visit could mean more than routine pre-draft homework
Visits do not guarantee picks, and Seattle has to be careful with its draft capital, especially considering some envision the Seahawks moving down in the draft. But this is the kind of prospect worth tracking because the traits line up so directly with the roster question.
Washington is listed around 6-foot-1 and 223 pounds on draft and school materials, so this is not simply a small-space speed back. He has size, proven production and the kind of timed explosiveness that can force defenses to play differently.
There is also a timing element here for Seattle. With Charbonnet’s return window still stretching into the season, the Seahawks may need someone who can compete for real early touches, not just developmental snaps. Even if Macdonald is sincere about the backs already on the roster, that does not rule out adding someone with a clearer starter-level ceiling.
That is where Washington becomes more than a generic visit note. He fits the exact part of Seattle’s roster that still feels unsettled.
If the Seahawks are serious about restoring the explosiveness they lost with Walker, this is exactly the kind of pre-draft meeting that deserves attention.