The Seattle Seahawks did not draft Jadarian Price to wait.
That is the blunt reality facing the rookie running back after NFL.com’s Gennaro Filice named Price one of 12 NFL rookies who “need to succeed” during the 2026 season. The warning was not framed as a knock on Price’s talent. It was about the situation he is entering: the defending Super Bowl champions lost Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet is recovering from ACL surgery, and Seattle still wants to lean on the running game.
“Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III is now a Chief. And at publishing, Zach Charbonnet is just three months removed from ACL surgery,” Filice wrote for NFL.com. “Thus explains Seattle’s polarizing pick at the end of Round 1: The Seahawks, who ran the ball at the third-highest rate last season (50%), had a gaping hole in the backfield.”
That is a lot to put on any rookie, especially one who was not a full-time workhorse in college. But it also explains why Price may have one of the clearest paths to early touches of any rookie running back in the league.
Jadarian Price Faces Immediate Seahawks Pressure
Seattle selected Price with the No. 32 overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft, confirming how aggressively the franchise wanted to address the backfield after Walker’s exit. The Seahawks’ official announcement noted that Price was the team’s first-round pick out of Notre Dame.
The timing matters. Walker was not just another departing starter. He was the offensive headliner of Seattle’s Super Bowl LX win over the New England Patriots, earning MVP honors after rushing for 135 yards on 27 carries and adding 26 receiving yards.
Replacing that kind of player is not a normal rookie assignment.
Price also enters a backfield where Charbonnet’s availability is a major early-season variable. NFL.com noted Charbonnet was three months removed from ACL surgery at the time of publication, which could put Price in position for “ample burn” early in the season.
That is why this is more than a routine rookie spotlight. Seattle’s offense is not built to simply abandon the run while waiting for its backfield to stabilize. If Price is ready, the Seahawks can preserve one of the core pieces of their title formula. If he is not, Seattle may be forced to reshuffle touches among less proven options or ask the passing game to carry more of the early-season burden.
Price’s Notre Dame Workload Creates the Big Question
The NFL.com concern is not that Price lacks explosiveness. It is that no one has seen him handle an NFL-style workload.
Filice pointed out that Price “never eclipsed 15 touches in a single game” during his three seasons at Notre Dame and totaled just 15 receptions in 41 college games.
That is the tension with Seattle’s pick. Price arrives with fresh legs, but also with questions about volume. Notre Dame’s official bio credited him with 113 carries for 674 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns in 2025, along with six catches for 87 yards and two receiving touchdowns. He also added major special teams value with 12 kickoff returns for 450 yards and two touchdowns.
The Seahawks can view that two ways. The optimistic read is that Price has plenty of tread left and was not worn down by years of 20-carry Saturdays. The cautious read is that Seattle still has to learn whether he can pass protect, handle short-yardage snaps, catch consistently and remain efficient when defenses treat him like a featured back.
That is the real test.
A first-round running back does not need to become Walker overnight. He does, however, need to be trustworthy enough for Seattle to keep its offensive identity intact.
Seahawks Need Price to Be More Than a Draft Bet
The Seahawks did not just draft a running back. They drafted an answer to a roster problem.
Price’s speed and return ability give Seattle multiple ways to get him involved, but his primary job is straightforward: stabilize a backfield that lost its Super Bowl MVP and may not have Charbonnet at full strength when the season begins.
That is why Filice’s warning lands. Price does not have the luxury of being treated like a long-term stash. The Seahawks are defending a championship, and the NFC will not wait for their running back room to get healthy.
The good news for Seattle is that Price’s college profile contains the kind of big-play traits that can translate quickly. His 6.0 yards per carry in 2025 and kickoff-return production show a player who can flip field position and create chunk plays without needing 25 touches.
The harder part is proving he can do the less glamorous work that keeps an offense on schedule.
For Price, the warning is clear. Opportunity is already there. Patience may not be.
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