The Seattle Seahawks got the job done in the NFL draft when it came to replacing their Super Bowl MVP, Kenneth Walker III, but he was also their 1A starting running back who left in free agency to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs, leaving the Seahawks with a big hole.
The Seahawks had depth at the running back position going into the draft, but they needed more; someone who had starting capabilities from the get-go, and Jadarian Price, who the Seahawks drafted with their 32nd overall first-round pick out of Notre Dame, is expected to be that guy.Â
Of course, what Price immediately brings to the table is his rushing capabilities, speed, and his "class act" persona, which the Seahawks have already begun to witness. That said, the question is, what can Price bring over and above running the ball? What else can he do well? And can an underrated part of his game make Seattle even more dangerous than they already are?
Jadarian Price can grow into a role with the Seattle Seahawks' offense that made Kenneth Walker so valuable
What made Walker's role within the Seahawks offense so dangerous was not just his rushing abilities, but the trust Sam Darnold had in him as a pass catcher. In his four seasons with the Seahawks, Walker totaled over 1,000 yards receiving on 133 receptions. In his final year in Seattle, and his only one with Darnold, Walker caught 31 balls for 282 yards, averaging his career-best, 9.1 yards per catch.Â
These numbers show Walker's effectiveness outside of the backfield, and clearly, he was trustworthy enough for the Seahawks to rely on him not just as a rusher, and Darnold benefited from it in a huge way. Can Price eventually produce a similar benefit?
Price's college stats as a pass catcher are barely existent: 15 catches across 41 games for 162 yards and three touchdowns. That said, it may not be as big an indictment on his game only because of who he played behind in Notre Dame, and Jeremiyah Love's receiving numbers overshadowed Price's by a lot.Â
Love caught 63 balls for almost 600 yards and doubled Price's touchdowns with six in the same three-year span as Price. As the Fighting Irish's No. 1 back, Love was also their No. 1 pass catcher out of the backfield. Rightfully so, this limited Price's workload and usage.Â
Could it be that only because of his role as the backup and Love's role as the starter and go-to offensive weapon, Price's effectiveness as a pass catcher is simply underrated? Perhaps. Price has great hands, as everyone knows, and had it not been for Love, Price would have been an exceptional No. 1 option at Notre Dame.Â
The probability is high that the Seahawks will do everything they can to develop Price into a dual-threat out of the backfield, as his former Fighting Irish teammate was and as his Seahawks predecessor was. Price has the speed and versatility to fly out of the backfield and get downfield, or come to a screeching halt for short-yardage gains, so the space to grow in this area is available.Â
The Seahawks had much success using Walker in this same way, and his pass-catching abilities are likely part of the larger value the Chiefs saw in him as a franchise running back. Price has all the potential to do the same, and you can bet that head coach Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks offense are going to try to get all they can out of Price, no matter how he gets the football.
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