Few teams in the National Football League value the running back position like the Seattle Seahawks do. So while the team has one of the better young running backs in the league in Kenneth Walker III, it didn’t exactly come as a surprise that Seattle spent another premium draft selection on its backfield.
The Seahawks selected UCLA Bruins RB Zach Charbonnet with the 52nd overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He joins a backfield that includes Walker, DeeJay Dallas and Kenny McIntosh, who Seattle later spent on a seventh-round pick on over the weekend.
While Walker and Charbonnet have the potential to be a great tandem, it’s unclear what their respective roles will be going forward. During a recent appearance on Seattle Sports 710, Seahawks head coach Pete Caroll was able to clarify how he sees Charbonnet and Walker cohabitating in the team’s running backs room.
“He’s so versatile. He just will fit in and be a great addition. And really, we’re gonna find out how far he can take it in terms of the receiving part of it. We know he’s really good at it. But so is Kenneth, so those guys will be battling,” Carroll said, via Pro Football Talk. “And we also went all the way down to get Kenny McIntosh because of his versatility. There’s so many positives about these guys.”
Walker took the NFL world by storm last season, as he carried the ball 228 times for 1,050 yards with nine rushing touchdowns. Heading into the draft, Walker was clearly Seattle’s bell cow back, but things in this league are always subject to change. With that, Carroll has sent a clear message to one of his star players and Walker will be battling with Charbonnet come training camp.
[Seattle Sports 710, Pro Football Talk]
