Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: RB Kenny McIntosh - Third Down Dynamo?

Though he never surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in a season at Georgia, Kenny McIntosh joins a talented Seattle Seahawks backfield with a polished all-around skill set that should allow him to compete for snaps right away.

Corbin K. Smith | Jun 25, 2023

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to June and offseason activities wrapping up league-wide, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in less than two months, 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.

Kenny McIntosh, Running Back

Height/Weight: 6-0, 210 pounds

2022 Stats*: 824 rushing yards, 509 receiving yards, 12 total touchdowns

*College stats at Georgia

Following an outstanding prep career at University School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, McIntosh enrolled at Georgia and immediately contributed as a true freshman, rushing for 174 yards and earning Special Teams Newcomer of the Year distinction. Though stuck behind future NFL backs James Cook and Zamir White on the depth chart, his production increased to 251 rushing yards in 2020 and 328 yards in 2021 as he gradually took on a greater role in the Bulldogs' offense. Finally serving as the lead dog as a senior, he set career-bests in rushing yards, receptions, and total touchdowns, helping the program repeat as national champions.

Expecting to be one of the first backs selected in the upcoming NFL draft, McIntosh turned in a disappointing performance at the combine running a slow 4.62 40-yard dash and not participating in any other athletic testing. As a result, he fell all the way to the seventh round before Seattle scooped him up with the 237th overall selection, pairing him with Ken Walker III and fellow rookie Zach Charbonnet.

Best-Case Scenario: Exhibiting far better athleticism than his testing numbers suggest and excelling handling the dirty work as a pass protector and tackler on special teams, McIntosh surpasses veteran DeeJay Dallas on the depth chart to take over as Seattle's new third down back, replacing the departed Travis Homer right out of the gate in an important complementary role alongside Walker and Charbonnet.

Worst-Case Scenario: While McIntosh makes the team due to his special teams contributions, he doesn't receive many opportunities on offense during training camp and the preseason with Dallas taking the bulk of third down work, leaving him as a healthy scratch for all but five games during his rookie season with only a handful of touches on offense.

What to Expect in 2023: Though McIntosh isn't as big as Charbonnet, he runs with underrated toughness and contact balance for his size, giving him enough versatility to run between the tackles as well as the perimeter. But where he could truly separate himself from the rest of his backfield mates is on third down, where his soft hands plucking the ball out of the air, ability to run routes from the outside or slot, and underrated blitz pickup skills could be immediate assets for Seattle's offense even with Walker and Charbonnet eating up the majority of early down and short-yardage snaps.

In addition, McIntosh found success in a limited sample size as a kick returner at Georgia, averaging nearly 27 yards per return. With the Seahawks seeking a replacement for Godwin Igwebuike in that role, he could be a dark horse to watch in that upcoming competition. The battle for reps in the backfield will be fierce with Walker, Charbonnet, and the dependable Dallas all vying for playing time, but as long as McIntosh takes care of business in the passing game and on special teams, he should be a safe bet to make the roster as a seventh-round selection and play meaningful snaps in a situational gig early.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Profiles

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Published Jun 25, 2023

CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.