The Seattle Seahawks didn't use their 32nd overall pick on Jadarian Price just so they could add depth to their running back room. No, Price was meant to be their starter, replacing Kenneth Walker III, and that is very likely the trajectory the Seahawks plan for their rookie.
With Zach Charbonnet not expected to be back on the field until sometime during next season, George Holani and Emanuel Wilson fill out the Seahawks running back depth chart, and then there is Price. Due to Seattle's dire need to have a starter ready for Day 1, this might put the pressure on Price to be as ready as ever.
Price's development from this point until the start of next season, including mini-camps, training camp, offseason workouts, and the pre-season, is all the more important because if he's not ready, the Seahawks will begin the new season without a starting running back.
ESPN NFL analyst Tim Hasselbeck believes Jadarian Price is starting for the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1
That said, at least one NFL analyst trusts this won't be a problem, and if his prediction is accurate, Price will be exactly what the Seahawks need.
If you ask Seahawks general manager John Schneider or head coach Mike Macdonald, it's unlikely they would admit to the pressure of desperation in making Price their starting running back in Week 1. That said, circumstances, as NFL analyst Tim Hasselbeck points out, could be a driving force behind this.
The Seahawks might have no choice but to start riding with Price from the get-go, and their surprise move of going for a running back in the first round proves that they expect Price to be the guy from the start. Hasselbeck believes the Seahawks current situation with their running backs will strongly encourage them to give Price the ball early and often, no matter his rookie status.
“I think the situation will dictate he’s the starter in Week 1,” Hasselbeck said on NFL Live. “Zach Charbonnet off the ACL injury, obviously Kenneth Walker isn’t there. That’s not to say he won’t have to earn the job. He will. But it’s basically handed to him.”
The need for Price to be ready to start is unavoidable, but that also opens the door of opportunity wide for Price to prove himself worthy of not just a first-round draft pick, but the Seahawks primary ball carrier for several years.
Hasselbeck accurately pinpoints the situational aspect, and looking at the big picture, the Seahawks don't really have much of a choice: give Price the ball right from the start. The hope would be that Price takes it and runs with it. Hasselbeck would also say that there should be "anticipation" that Price will be thrown into the fire.
Either Price will be up for the task, or the Seahawks will discover very early on that they need Charbonnet back as soon as possible. The stars point to Price as Seattle's No. 1 rusher to begin the season, but it won't become official until they publicly name him that.
If this is how it plays out, Price will be taking a massive jump from what his duties in college were to what they'll be in the NFL. Of course, the Seahawks obviously believe he can make that jump; otherwise, they wouldn't have spent their first draft pick on him.
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