Over the course of 17 drafts as general manager of the Seattle Seahawks, John Schneider has chosen 16 running backs. Until this year, only one came in the first round. Rashaad Penny was taken with the 27th overall pick in 2018. Despite several tantalizing stretches, Penny’s string of major lower-body injuries curtailed any sustained success.
Schneider made Jadarian Price his second first-round running back last April. The pick has been viewed by some as a reach. The Seahawks seemed eager to find a replacement for Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, who left via free agency in March.
Seattle has several solid grinders in the backfield – Zach Charbonnet, Emanuel Wilson, George Holani. But they lacked any runner with Walker’s explosiveness. The hope is that Price can bring that to the table.
Three college running backs to watch this year for Seattle Seahawks fans
What if he can’t? No one can be certain at this early stage. Price looked very good in college, but the sample size is very small. He was trapped behind the best runner in the country – Jeremiyah Love, the third overall pick of the Arizona Cardinals this year. Price was the second runner chosen after Love.
Even if Price is successful, the Seahawks may find themselves in need of more running backs next season.
Of Seattle's projected top four backs, Price is the only one currently signed beyond this season. In the best of all possible worlds, Price becomes a Walker-like backfield presence in his rookie year, and Schneider re-ups one of his power backs to maintain the effective two-back attack that worked so well before Charbonnet’s injury in 2025.
If Price flames out, Schneider will have a major decision on his hands. Stick with the young player in hopes that he lives up to his promise down the road? Maybe. Look to free agency for a big-time difference-maker? That could work.
The Colts’ Jonathan Taylor is scheduled to hit the market next year. He is a stone-cold stud. But he also has a lot of wear and tear on his body, so perhaps a younger option like the Bengals' Chase Brown could come into play.
And what about the draft? Assuming the Seahawks have another strong season and are picking late in the round, is it possible Schneider would go with a running back in the first round of consecutive drafts? It seems unheard of, but given Seattle’s particular situation, if Price does not perform, it could happen.
With that in mind, here are three excellent college prospects who could very well be in play when Seattle picks in the first round next April.
Kewan Lacy, Mississippi
Lacy transferred from Missouri to Ole Miss ahead of the 2025 season and exploded. Playing against elite SEC competition, the sophomore carried the ball 306 times for more than 1,500 yards. He also found the end zone an astonishing 24 times in just 15 games, the best in the nation.
He stands 5’11”, and weighs 200 pounds, which may make him suspect as an every down back. But in Seattle’s offense, which likes to platoon its runners and uses a big blocking fullback, he could be an ideal fit. His 4.8 40 time doesn’t rank up there with Walker, but it is still plenty fast and he shows the vision and balance to be a very effective part of a platoon in the NFL.
Since 2026 will be just his third year in college, Lacy may decide to delay entering the NFL. But if he and his team think he is ready, he could be looking at a late first round or early second round call.
Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
As Lacy was leaving Missouri, Hardy was arriving. He had torn up the Sun Belt at Louisiana-Monroe as a freshman, and last year, he was even better at a Tiger. His 1,649 yards led the SEC, as did his exceptional 6.4 yards per carry.
He is generally considered the strongest pure runner in the country, with yards-after-contact numbers that almost defy belief. He isn’t all that big – 5’10”, 206 pounds – or fast (4.59 in the 40), but he is a natural runner who is very hard to get on the ground. On the downside, Hardy has not been asked to serve as a pass catcher, which could limit his appeal at the next level.
And on the tragic side, Hardy is just two months removed from suffering a gunshot wound to the leg at a concert in May. Though reports suggest he is making a strong recovery, how this impacts his football future remains an open question. Everyone will be paying a lot of attention to how he looks when he can return to the field.
Nate Frazier, Georgia
At this early stage, Frazier is the player who appears to be most capable of stepping into Kenneth Walker’s cleats at the next level. In terms of raw numbers, he cannot compete with the first two names on this list.
Last year, he was the lead runner in a backfield that resembled the Seahawks, with Chauncey Bowens in the Charbonnet role. The Bulldogs also had a running quarterback, which ate into Frazier’s numbers.
Still, in two years of platooning, he has rushed for more than 1,600 yards at a 5.3 yards-per-carry clip. With his exceptional 4.35 time in the 40, he has shown flashes of high-level explosiveness. Physically, he is a virtual clone of Walker.
Scouts will be watching to see if Frazier can consistently produce those high-end results throughout his junior year. If he does, he could find himself as the top running back in the 2027 draft, though current projections tend to put him in the second round.
Best-case scenario – Jadarian Price makes all this moot by blowing up in his rookie season. But there is a very real chance John Schneider will again be looking for backfield help next offseason. If so, I’d keep my eye on Chase Brown in the NFL and Nate Frazier in the college ranks.
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