As the defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks didn't have many needs to address in the offseason. They managed to keep most of their key guys for the long run, and they had just enough assets to fix what needed fixing.
Of course, letting Kenneth Walker III leave in free agency was brutal. The Seahawks weren't willing to meet his projected market value, a move that made sense, given how fast and notoriously running backs tend to fall from grace.
That's why general manager John Schneider used the No. 32 pick to replace him. Instead of trading down as expected, the Seahawks rolled the dice on Notre Dame's Jadrian Price, the consensus RB2. However, as solid as that pick may have been, FanSided's Cody Williams actually believes it was a reach and their worst move of the offseason.
Seattle Seahawks under heavy fire over Jadarian Price's reach'
"That being said, nothing about their free agency class is going to wow anyone, and their draft featured a couple of substantial reaches, even if they did add good players," Williams wrote, giving the Seahawks a 'C' for their offseason.
To be fair, not many people saw the Seahawks taking Price at No. 32. Dane Brugler had him ranked No. 50 in his top-100 list, and NFL Mock Draft Database had him at No. 52. Also, given positional value alone, he could've been a late second-round pick.
That said, it was highly unlikely that the Seahawks would've been able to get him at No. 64. If there was no value in trading out of the first round, likely because other teams low-balled them, they didn't have to trade back just for the sake of it.
The Seahawks had a major need for a running back, and this class wasn't particularly deep at the position. It was either taking Price early or hoping that, by any miracle, he would be there 32 picks later. Otherwise, they would've had to overpay for someone like Najee Harris or just roll with Emanuel Wilson while Zach Charbonnet worked his way back from injury.
Price didn't get to shine much behind Jeremiyah Love, but his tape proves he's an NFL-caliber RB1. He may not be Kenneth Walker fast, but he can outrun most guys at the position. His combination of vision, patience, and acceleration makes him as obvious a replacement as anyone could've hoped for.
Seahawks fans have already embraced Price, and rightfully so. He has the skill set to carry Walker's torch and hold down the fort while Charbonnet returns. And while the Seahawks could've probably gone in a different direction with their first-round pick, Price will likely make a bigger impact than any unpolished defensive player they could've gotten there.
The Seahawks enter the season with some concerns on offense, as Brian Fleury has never called plays. Also, losing Klint Kubiak might lead to some regression for Sam Darnold and their explosive running game. Notably, that's also why adding a player like Price might be the easiest way to smooth the transition, alleviate that burden, and keep their dominant run going.
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