The Seattle Seahawks took Kenneth Walker in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft, which some saw as too high. He eventually helped the team win a Super Bowl, but he left in free agency. Seattle is set up to take a 30-visit, though, from Walker's potential replacement, Mike Washington.
Walker signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, leaving Seattle with an iffy running back room for the start of the 2026 season. The player who would logically replace him is Zach Charbonnet, but he tore his ACL in the playoffs and might not be at full strength for Week 1, or even weeks into the season.
General manager John Schneider did sign Emanuel Wilson in free agency, but no back currently on the Seahawks' bloated roster would seem ready to be RB1. Washington might be, though he has shown one brutal flaw.
Seattle Seahawks reportedly set to visit with Arkansas running back Mike Washington
The 6'1" and 223-pound back has elite athleticism. At the NFL combine, he ran a 4.33 40-yard dash with a 1.51 10-yard split. Physically, he is set to become a valuable pro, even potentially as a lead back for the team that chooses him.
The problem is that he had a fumbling problem in college. In fact, he coughed up the ball 10 times, and that isn't going to work in the league. No matter how physically gifted a player is, and even if he is immediately productive, if he fumbles often and early, he is going to be reduced to a backup.
The question with Washington is whether his fumbling issue stems from a lack of good technique, which one would have thought would have been coached better at Arkansas, the school he finished his college career with, or if he doesn't have the hand strength needed to hold onto the ball. Or worse, he cannot consistently focus on not giving the ball away.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Mike Washington has completed a 30-visit with the Atlanta Falcons, and has visits scheduled with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, and Seahawks. Teams can have up to 30 pre-draft visits from players that the organization might be interested in drafting.
The Seattle Seahawks ' visit with Washington clearly proves the team's interest. He is a physical specimen who rushed for 1,070 yards in 2025, averaging 6.4 yards per carry. In each of his final two years in college, he ran for eight touchdowns.
The NFL's official website compares Washington to another recent Seattle running back who turned out to be surprisingly productive, Chris Carson. Washington has far more speed, however. Should the team take him as late as the third round, and potentially in the second, where the Seahawks chose both Walker and Charbonnet, Washington could be the starter in Week 1.