10 most valuable Seahawks draft selections of the last decade

10th best Seahawks draft selection of the 2010s: Chris Carson, RB

Chris Carson is many things. He is a powerful runner. He is resilient. He is a true bell-cow back. He is worthy of being the number one on just about any offense in the NFL. Lastly, he was the 4th-to-last player selected in the 2017 draft.

Carson coming in at the number 10 slot has a lot to do with his overall production compared to his draft position. By all means, he was thought of as a special team’s guy. Perhaps even a practice squad player who never quite cracks the roster. However, as soon as he stepped onto the field, all of that changed.

Let me bring you back to the 2017 NFL season. The Seahawks had gone through two straight years with rotating inconsistent running backs. The team decides to make a splash signing to remedy this. They brought Eddie Lacy in on a sizeable one year deal.

The full intention was for Lacy to be the number one going forward and open up the competition for the number two back. Chris Carson had an uphill battle to make the roster with CJ Prosise, Thomas Rawls, Mike Davis and Alex Collins each trying to prove they can carry the offense.

Carson caught a break when both Prosise and Rawls succumbed to an injury in game two of the preseason. This left Carson and Lacy as the main 1-2 punch for the final two preseason outings.

Over those two games, Carson led the Seahawks with 92 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns, and four passes caught for 64 yards. He did it all with consistency, poise, determination and flair. He looked like the real deal when given the opportunity.

Regardless, Lacy kept the lead back spot heading into week one of the regular season. All it took was that one week of Lacy at the helm for the team to realize this was going to be Carson’s show. During his rookie year, he averaged 4.2 yards per carry along with an 87% catch rate. Unfortunately, that season was cut short after he succumbed to an injury in week 4.

Fast forward to today, Carson has had two consecutive 1,100-yard rushing seasons. He has accumulated 18 touchdowns. His production goes far beyond just yards accumulated. It’s his ability to do more, with less. Carson led the NFL in broken tackles in both 2018 and 2019. Since his rookie year, he is tied for the second-most games with 100+ rushing yards, behind only Ezekiel Elliot.

He is one of only three running backs with 100+ forced missed tackles since 2018. He has the third-most yards after contact while having the 3rd fewest yards before contact. He also has the second-most runs for a first down. He made sure he got the yardage when the team needed it most.

Carson has consistently been lined up behind a bottom 10 offensive line unit. Yet, his stats line up with some of the best running backs in the NFL. Players like Elliot, Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram and Nick Chubb have massive production.

Yet, they are also slotted behind top-10 offensive lines. The holes that those players run through are premanufactured through solid offensive line play. Carson is forced to bulldoze his way through. He has the second-most carries that were met behind the line of scrimmage in the NFL last year. All the yardage he accumulates is due to hard work, determination and his owns sheer will.

Many fans get stuck on the two issues surrounding Carson. The fumbles and his injury concerns. Both are valid. Carson isn’t perfect; however, he is top tier running back. Say what you want about Carson’s issues. It still cannot be taken away that the Seahawks struck gold by selecting this Oklahoma State running back that was passed up 248 times in the draft. Talk about value.

Seattle was desperate to find a franchise running back and Carson is talented enough to be just that.