The Seattle Seahawks have selected running back Damien Martinez with the 223rd pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The selection, acquired via Pittsburgh, makes for the first running back taken by Seattle in this year's draft. Martinez, the former First-Team All-Pac-12 back, was a very productive three-year starter in his collegiate career.
At 6'0, and 217 pounds, Martinez is a big running back. However, even with his impressive size, Martinez is still a fantastic athlete. Martinez recorded a 4.51 40-yard dash, a 35" vertical jump, and a 10'4" broad jump in last month's NFL Combine. In 2024, Martinez's sole season with the Miami Hurricanes, he rushed for over 1,000 yards on 159 carries — good for 6.3 yards per carry — across 13 games.
Martinez added 10 rushing touchdowns on the season. Before he was a Hurricane in Miami, Martinez played two seasons at Oregon State, where he finished both seasons earning First-Team All-Pac 12 honors.
Damien Martinez could be a Chris Carson clone for the Seahawks
Martinez is a very powerful back, built both dense and strong. He fits the mold of a typical Seahawks running back, from the likes of Shaun Alexander to Marshawn Lynch. A downhill runner, Martinez found a good chunk of his rushing yards after contact.
However, he doesn't just seek and destroy as a runner. Martinez shows patience behind the line of scrimmage and hits the hole hard once it's formed. He projects as an efficient gap-scheme runner.
While Klint Kubiak and Seahawks fans alike should like Martinez's value in the 7th round, one person in Seattle can't be happy with the selection. Running back Kenny McIntosh, who hardly had a shot in Seattle, could be feeling the pressure right now.
Listed as the third running back on the depth chart, McIntosh was likely hoping 2025 would be his chance to show what type of player he could be after being drafted only two years ago out of Georgia. Unfortunately for McIntosh, a series of injuries and a running back duo of Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet have ultimately prevented McIntosh from seeing any legitimate playing time.