Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: RB Ken Walker III - Sophomore Sensation?

Even with a new backfield mate joining the mix to share carries with, Ken Walker III looks poised to build off a fantastic rookie season for the Seattle Seahawks with an improved offensive line ready to open up running lanes in front of him.

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jul 22, 2023 10:00 AM EDT

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason activities in the rearview mirror, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC later this month, officially ushering in the 2023 season.

To celebrate the new incoming season, we'll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2023 campaign.

Ken Walker III, Running Back

Height/Weight: 5-9, 211 pounds

2022 Stats: 1,050 rushing yards, nine touchdowns, 27 receptions

After playing his first two collegiate seasons at Wake Forest, Walker transferred to Michigan State and immediately took a star turn in the Spartans' pro-style offense, racking up 1,636 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns to win the Doak Walker Award and finish as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. Forgoing his final year of eligibility, he entered the 2022 NFL Draft and the Seahawks selected him with the 41st overall pick in the second round, tabbing him as their next feature back.

Though Walker missed the season opener recovering from hernia surgery, he eventually jumped into the starting lineup when Rashaad Penny suffered a year-ending broken ankle in Week 5. Getting off to a fast start, he rushed for at least 97 yards in three of his first four starts and Seattle ripped off four straight wins to briefly climb to the top of the NFC West. He endured a slump over the next month, failing to rush for 50 yards in any of his next four starts and missing one game with a sprained foot. But he closed out the schedule on a hot note, rushing for 100-plus yards in each of the final three games to help catapult his team to the playoffs and become only the second back in franchise history to surpass 1,000 rushing yards as a rookie.

Best-Case Scenario: Picking up where he left off behind an improved offensive line, Walker gets off to a scintillating start with 100 or more rushing yards in four of Seattle's first five games and winds up pushing for a rushing title with over 1,300 yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns to pace a dominant offense, earning himself Second-Team All-Pro distinction and his first Pro Bowl selection.

Worst-Case Scenario: Though he remains the starter, the arrival of Zach Charbonnet cuts significantly into his workload, particularly in the red zone and in short yardage situations, leading to Walker's overall rushing production dipping under 1,000 yards and only six touchdowns on the ground in a bit of a disappointing sophomore campaign.

What to Expect in 2023: With the Seahawks investing a second-round pick in Charbonnet, who rushed for over 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Bruins as a senior in 2022, many expect his presence to negatively impact Walker's value after finishing as runner up for Offensive Rookie of the Year. But coach Pete Carroll has long preferred having two starter-quality backs to complement one another and while the newcomer will surely take some of Walker's snaps, it shouldn't be near enough to worry about his production taking a big hit.

In fact, given Seattle's surplus of firepower on offense, the team should have better success on third down than it did a year ago when it finished 20th in conversion rate, leading to more sustained drives and consequently more carries in the run game. As a result, even if Walker's snap percentage on offense ends up being a little less than 58 percent like last year, he should see a similar workload play-wise. Assuming he avoids injuries and stays healthy, it would be a stunner if he isn't able to replicate his rookie production, if not surpass it, as the bellcow for the Seahawks backfield attack with an offensive line that should be upgraded in front of him.

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