5 Seahawks who are certified building blocks for the future
- Kenneth Walker is going to shine for years to come
- Tariq Woolen is all about production
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a game-altering talent
By Matt Conner
![Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3000,h_1687,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/36/01h4p0j7ghzhsrmt6fx5.jpg)
Kenneth Walker III, RB
Kenneth Walker enjoyed a very good season last year for the Seahawks, and he looks poised for some very, very productive seasons in the years to come.
Walker came into the league as a second-round pick in 2022 after a stellar season at Michigan State in which he won both the Doak Walker and Walter Camp awards. He was also a first-team All-American after scoring 18 touchdowns and rushing for over 1,600 yards and the Seahawks grabbed him to reinvigorate a backfield held captive to Rashaad Penny’s injury status.
Consider this: Walker finished with 228 carries for 1,050 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns, good for 11th among running backs in yardage and 9th in touchdowns. His healthy 4.6 yards/carry average was good for No. 15 overall among backs as well, meaning he can handle volume without sacrificing effectiveness.
What makes this so much more impressive (other than the offensive line concerns we discussed earlier) is that Walker’s first 4 games were a total wash with only 15 total carries in that span. In other words, Walker put up that sort of production in three-quarters of a season as a rookie.
Now just wait until his ultimate tandem partner arrives on the field in this year’s second-round pick Zach Charbonnet.