Seahawks News: Jadarian Price Arrives in Seattle, but Bell Cow Role Not Guaranteed Right Away
The Seattle Seahawks addressed their most pressing offseason need on the final pick of the first round, selecting Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price with the 32nd overall pick. But getting him in the door was the easy part. Defining his role is more complicated.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported this week that the organizational expectation in Seattle is that Price “won’t have to be a bell cow right away.” The full picture, per Fowler, is that the Seahawks “have backfield depth and also hope to utilize dual-threat QB Jalen Milroe. Price has a special skill set that will be hard to keep off the field, but he’ll have time to develop, too.”
The drafting of Price came in direct response to the departure of Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III, who left Seattle for the Kansas City Chiefs on a three-year, $43 million deal in free agency. Walker, who rushed for 313 yards and four touchdowns across Seattle’s three playoff victories capped by the Super Bowl, was the unquestioned offensive centerpiece of the Seahawks’ championship run.
“We weren’t going to completely force it,” GM John Schneider said after Thursday’s pick. “But it was important. We just lost a really good runner in Ken Walker.”
Price gives the Seahawks a legitimate long-term answer in the backfield. At Notre Dame, where he played behind first overall pick contender Jeremiyah Love, Price rushed for 1,420 yards, 18 touchdowns, and averaged 6.1 yards per carry over two seasons, production that, despite the limited carries, ranked among the most efficient in college football.
“He’s a complete running back,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman told Seattle Sports on Wednesday. “His ability to get east and west and then vertical is as fast as anybody I’ve ever seen.”
The rest of the backfield complicates the picture. Zach Charbonnet, who rushed for 730 yards and a team-leading 12 touchdowns in 2025, tore his ACL in the Divisional Round against the 49ers on January 17. He underwent surgery on February 20. Based on standard ACL recovery timelines, his best-case return is around late October or November 2026, and December is more likely. Whether he contributes meaningfully this season at all remains an open question.
The Seahawks also signed former Green Bay Packers backup Emanuel Wilson to a one-year deal worth up to $2.1 million in March. Wilson averaged 4.5 yards per carry across three seasons in Green Bay and started two games last year in place of an injured Josh Jacobs, rushing for a career-high 107 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings.