Seahawks Offensive Line will Keep Kenneth Walker from Being an RB1

The Seattle Seahawks have undergone a change at quarterback, replacing Geno Smith with Sam Darnold. They will also look different at wide receiver with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett now on new teams. One position that does bring back familiar faces is running back, with Kenneth Walker poised to be their top option again.

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Disappointing 2024 Campaign

A second-round pick in 2022, Walker burst onto the scene with 1,050 rushing yards and nine touchdowns during his rookie campaign. He followed that up with 905 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in 2023. With his early career success, Walker quickly became an appealing fantasy option.

With Walker being selected early in drafts last season, he proved to be a disappointment. After turning 20 carries into 103 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, Walker missed the next two games because of injury. He would eventually miss a total of six games for the season, never rushing for more than 83 yards in a game after Week 1. His efficiency declined as he averaged just 3.7 yards per carry. On the positive side of things, he did record seven rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. Coming off his disappointing season, Walker is still an intriguing option for fantasy managers. According to 4for4’s Multi-Site ADP, Walker has an ADP of 41. That makes him RB15, putting him between James Cook (ADP 36, RB14) and Alvin Kamara (ADP 42, RB16).

Difficult To Bring Down

Walker, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry last season, was surprising. In his rookie season, he averaged 4.6 yards per carry. In 2023, he averaged 4.1 yards per carry. However, his lack of efficiency might not have been all Walker’s fault.

Walker saw 66.8% of his yards come after contact last season. He had a broken tackle rate of 30.1%, which ranked in the 98th percentile in the NFL. His positive run rate of 78.4% ranked in the 82nd percentile. If the Seahawks could improve their offensive line, it would help Walker avoid initial contact until he is further down the field.

The problem is, the Seahawks still don’t have a great line. Charles Cross has left tackle locked down, and they added a starting guard in Grey Zabel in the first round of the 2025 Draft. However, the rest of the offensive line comes with question marks.

Seahawks RB Depth Chart

Walker is expected to be the Seahawks top running back, but it’s not as if he doesn’t have any quality options behind him. Zach Charbonnet will be his main backup again, and Charbonnet showed he can be productive in a leading role last season when Walker was out. Over the six games that Walker missed, Charbonnet averaged 15.2 carries and 72.2 rushing yards. He also had six total rushing touchdowns. In addition to his rushing contributions, Charbonnet had 19 receptions for 137 yards.

Charbonnet, who was selected in the second round of the 2023 Draft, could probably start for other teams across the league. He is a great security blanket for the Seahawks should something happen to Walker. Even when Walker is healthy, Charbonnet can make an impact in the passing game. According to 4for4’s Multi-Site ADP, Charbonnet has an ADP of 108 (RB37). For those who draft Walker, consider handcuffing him with Charbonnet later in the draft.

The Seahawks’ running back depth chart behind Walker and Charbonnet is bare, especially with Kenny McIntosh (knee) potentially out for the season. Walker has RB1 upside in fantasy, but injury concerns and a potentially bad offensive line again make him better suited to be an RB2.

The Bottom Line

• Kenneth Walker was limited to just 11 games last season because of injury, finishing with 573 rushing yards on 153 carries.
• Walker had seven rushing touchdowns last season, giving him at least seven scores in all three seasons of his career.
• The Seahawks took G Grey Zabel in the first round of the 2025 Draft, but their offensive line could still be one of the biggest weak spots on the team.
• Walker has an ADP of 41, which makes him RB15.
• Walker’s ability to break tackles gives him RB1 upside, but injury and offensive line concerns make him someone to consider as an RB2 in fantasy.