I’ve missed writing this weekly column. As a Seattle Seahawks fan and someone who loves the draft, one of the things I look forward to most is getting to study how Seattle’s rookies perform once the games actually count.
Unfortunately — or perhaps fortunately, and I’ll explain why later — there isn’t much tape to work with from this season opener. We had just 24 snaps from the rookie class to analyze.
So, let’s take a look at some of the key plays from the game.
All data used in this article was taken from PFF.
Jadarian Price, Running Back — 24 snaps
Price carried the ball 10 times for 52 yards, good for a 5.2-yard average. Overall, he showed good vision, played with a strong attitude and displayed more explosiveness and straight-line speed than I expected coming into the season. At this point, it looks like the praise he received throughout Hard Knocks was legitimate.
This might be the snap that gives Price the clearest indication of what he still needs to improve, although there is nothing alarming here. Seattle appears to be running a Duo concept, a gap-scheme run that uses vertical double teams at the line of scrimmage while allowing the running back to read the second level and choose his path based on the linebackers’ movement.
Price reads linebacker No. 14 coming downhill toward the line of scrimmage rather than flowing laterally, so he correctly decides to bounce the run outside. The biggest area for improvement is what happens next. You can see Price make two separate cuts, and on the second one he loses a little of his speed and explosiveness.
Again, this is not some glaring mistake, especially in a rookie’s first NFL game. With more experience, Price should become quicker with this read and get to the outside with one decisive cut rather than having to make two adjustments.
I may have missed one, but I believe this was Price’s only pass-blocking snap of the game. That’s probably a smart decision by Seattle. It’s not that Price is incapable of blocking, or unwilling to do it, but he is clearly inexperienced in pass protection and has shown both good and very poor reps in that area. He did catch two passes for six yards, but pass protection is something he’ll need to develop gradually. In the meantime, George Holani can continue to provide some of that experience in the backfield.
Nothing particularly flashy here, but the simple things are often underrated. The offensive line doesn’t create much separation, yet Price trusts the design, stays with his first read and, even with very little room to work with, lowers his pads and gets what he can.
Also, keep an eye on Anthony Bradford’s block on No. 24. It helps create just enough room for Price to finish the run.
One thing that stood out throughout Price’s tape is how disciplined he appears to be. He doesn’t seem overly eager to abandon the play design in search of something that isn’t there.
Seattle runs another outside-zone concept here. At one point, a gap appears between Abe Lucas and Anthony Bradford, but notice where Price’s eyes are. He doesn’t get sucked inside by the opening. Instead, he stays committed to working toward the edge. Once he turns the corner and gets going north, the explosiveness shows up again.
Being disciplined doesn’t mean lacking creativity.
Seattle runs another outside zone here, and this time the concept works particularly well. Price sticks with the initial track until he recognizes a better opportunity. Once he sees the lane inside, he makes the cut, turns upfield and takes on the defenders rather than trying to dance around contact. He eventually gets tackled, but there is plenty to like about the way he finishes the run and fights through contact.
This was one of the snaps that surprised me most in terms of Price’s speed. It’s another outside-zone run, and pay attention to how quickly Price gets moving before No. 24 can get to him. He manages to escape the tackle attempt and once again gets himself going north.
The officiating crew had already made several questionable decisions throughout the game, so perhaps they were trying to avoid adding another controversial call by not flagging JSN for a block in the back here.
Either way, once Price gets through it, you can see what his athleticism can bring to this offense. He appears to hit another gear once he gets north, and that acceleration is something worth watching as his role develops.
Bud Clark, Defensive Back — 0 snaps
Clark was one of the rookies I had the most confidence in coming into the season, so seeing him land on injured reserve was particularly disappointing.
There simply isn’t any defensive tape to evaluate yet, but his absence is significant when you consider the injuries Seattle has already dealt with in the secondary.
Julian Neal, Cornerback — 0 defensive snaps
With Seattle’s secondary dealing with multiple injuries, Neal could have had an opportunity to work his way into the defensive rotation.
Unfortunately, his injury during training camp significantly slowed his development. He saw only special-teams snaps in the opener, so there isn’t much to evaluate from a defensive standpoint yet.
Beau Stephens, Guard — 0 snaps
Stephens was inactive for the opener.
He showed some development during the final preseason game, but the fact that he was inactive suggests he still has some ground to make up on Seattle’s offensive line. At least for now, the coaching staff appears to have others names.
That’s notable considering Christian Haynes, the player Stephens was competing with in the preseason, had previously lost his starting opportunity to Sataoa Laumea — who is no longer even in the NFL.
For Stephens, the first step is simply getting active on game day.
Avery Smith, Cornerback — 0 defensive snaps
Because Smith is a rookie, even though he was not drafted or originally signed by Seattle, he’ll be included in this weekly rookie tracker.
Like Neal, Smith did not see any defensive snaps despite the injuries in Seattle’s secondary. His work came exclusively on special teams, so there isn’t much defensive tape to evaluate yet.
Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, this is pretty much what we expected before the season began.
The Seahawks 2026 rookie class was always likely to have a limited immediate impact, with Price being the one player most likely to contribute early. The injuries to Clark and Neal only make that reality more pronounced. That could remain the story for much of the season, although Neal or Smith could eventually find an opportunity if injuries create another opening in the secondary.
Stephens being inactive is also worth monitoring. In theory, it suggests that Grey Zabel and Anthony Bradford are healthy enough and playing well enough for Seattle to keep its current combination in place. For a team trying to stabilize the offensive line, that’s a positive development.
There are also a few rookies on the practice squad, although the path to playing time is considerably more difficult for most of them.
The two defensive backs would probably only be elevated to the active roster if injuries force Seattle’s hand and if Terrion Arnold and Trevon Diggs still “unavailable.” Emmanuel Henderson may be the one rookie on the practice squad with a realistic chance of seeing meaningful action this season at some point, while Deven Eastern looks more likely to spend the year developing and learning on the practice squad.
So, for now, Price is the rookie to watch.
And after his first 24 snaps, there are already enough flashes to make that worthwhile.