Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker Impressed With Zach Charbonnet & Kenny McIntosh
Not many could have predicted that the Seattle Seahawks would take two running backs in the NFL Draft, or even one for that matter.
After using a second-round pick to land Kenneth Walker III out of Michigan State in 2022 - who burst onto the scene as a rookie rushing for 1,000 yards, - Seattle went back to the well, taking Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh with their second and seventh-round picks.
Running back wasn't necessarily a "need" for the Seahawks, and they certainly could've filled one with either pick. But they wanted more weapons on offense and netted some in Charbonnet and McIntosh.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll recently gave the media some of his thoughts on what he's seen from both rookie backs through OTAs.
“Yeah, they're catchers for sure. Kenny [McIntosh] is a really natural athlete, you can just see it in everything that he does. Zach [Charbonnet] does everything well, he just is a complete ball player, ..." Carroll said. "I know Ken (Walker III) has been really impressed with those guys too, and that's for a guy to say stuff about his young teammates like that. He's come out and been outspoken about it, that's a statement. So they look really good.”
Despite the potential for Walker to feel like he is already being replaced by Charbonnet, who became the second back the Seahawks took in round two in consecutive years, the second-year back has become an "outspoken" supporter of his two new teammates.
Following a decorated career at UCLA, Charbonnet was a coveted prospect coming into the NFL Draft. The now Sehawk rushed for over 1,000 yards in his final two seasons as a Bruin, exhibiting the talent to serve as a between-the-tackles runner and an extra pass-catcher.
Both Charbonnet and McIntosh showed the ability to function out of the backfield as receivers, which is where the former Georgia Bulldog shined for the repeat national champions. Of McIntosh's 1,334 total yards from scrimmage, 505 came as a receiver in his final season at Georgia. Additionally, Charbonnet had 321 yards on 37 catches at UCLA.
Assuming the Seahawks decides to keep both rookies on their 53-man roster come the end of preseason, it'd give them two change-of-pace backs to complement Walker III. Charbonnet could feature on third downs and maybe even take over some short-yardage situations. At the same time, McIntosh can function on special teams as a returner and be used in the screen game like he was commonly at Georgia.
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