Will 2024 Bring Larger Workload for Seattle Seahawks' Zach Charbonnet?

Given the former UCLA standout's success in a limited role in his rookie year, will Zach Charbonnet see a larger role in the offense for the Seahawks in year two?

Dec 10, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) runs past San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (54) in the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports / Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Some people were surprised that John Schneider and Pete Carroll selected a running back in the second round for the second consecutive season, after they took Ken Walker III in 2022's draft. Once coaches and fans saw Zach Charbonnet on the field in Seattle, however, they wondered no more.

The Seahawks are looking to return to the playoffs in 2024. If they are going to do that, they need a more dynamic, productive run game.

Weighing 215 pounds, Charbonnet brings a more physical style of running than Walker. Their skillsets complement each other nicely. Walker ran for 1,050 yards in his rookie year and earned himself the runner-up spot in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. His sudden change in direction and elite vision make him a quality NFL back.

Upon Charbonnet's arrival, Walker's production took a slight dip. Most of that was due to an ineffective offense line, as he rushed for almost 150 yards less than his rookie year with just nine less carries.

Charbonnet ended up starting two games with Walker banged up. His breakout game came against the Cowboys, when he ran for 60 yards on 19 carries with a touchdown. However, his introduction to the world came much earlier in the year, on a play against the Carolina Panthers.

🎥 #Seahawks rookie RB Zach Charbonnet with an ANGRY RUN

The #UCLA product is powerful 🍿

pic.twitter.com/F6mY7IbzEz

— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) September 24, 2023

Charbonnet ended up earning the popular "Angry Runs" award for the week, given out by the heralded NFL Network show "Good Morning Football."

Overall, Charbonnet ran for 462 yards with 108 carries and one touchdown. Diving deeper into his numbers may suggest that the ex-UCLA star should see a bigger role in 2024.

First, Charbonnet is good out of the backfield as a pass-catcher. He caught 33 passes for 209 yards, more receptions than his counterpart Walker. Plus, Charbonnet's 61.1 pass blocking grade per Pro Football Focus was much higher than Walker's 40.7, making him a superior option to keep on the field on third downs.

Next, Charbonnet runs with a more punishing style that can wear down a defense. He's four inches taller than Walker with bigger arms and overall, a thicker frame. Though it was a smaller sample size, it shouldn't be ignored that he had a better yards-per-attempt rate (4.3) than Walker (4.1), and he had only eight less runs of 10-plus yards than his counterpart on 111 fewer carries.

When accounting for yards after contact, that margin in comparison to Walker widens further. Charbonnet averaged more yards after contact (2.96) than Seattle's starter (2.91).

Ryan Grubb likely wants a balanced attack with a reliable, versatile run game as he did at Washington last year with Dillon Johnson handling the workload. If their offensive line can improve in run blocking, the Seahawks have two running backs that are effective in different ways much like a great pitcher in baseball needs that fastball and a slider or curveball to keep the batter off-balance.

Walker is the fastball and Charbonnet is that heavy sinker or slider to keep defenses on their heels. What does the split in workload look like? Charbonnet should get much more than 108 carries this season. He should push towards 150, or maybe even more.

The Seahawks have the repertoire they need in their top two running backs. They should be much better than the 28th-ranked rushing attack in the league and as part of that improvement, they should pick more spots to use Charbonnet's skill set moving forward.