The Seahawks found their running back replacement at the end of the first round of the 2026 draft.
Seattle spent the No. 32 pick on Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price on Thursday in Pittsburgh, providing its offense with a rugged back capable of handling a workload abandoned by the departure of Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III.
Price's selection was the second first-round pick of a Notre Dame running back on Thursday night, following up teammate Jeremiyah Love, the No. 3 overall pick headed to Arizona.
Love's sidekick at Notre Dame flashed NFL traits in limited reps during four collegiate seasons. Despite not logging a single start, Price generated 1,692 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns in 41 games the past three seasons. At seemingly any other program, he'd have been a No. 1 back, boasting 6.0 yards per carry over his career.
The 5-foot-10, 203-pound runner with low pads boasts excellent balance and vision, accelerating through the hole and making defenders miss in space. Price is a quick reader, and his contact balance allows him to break tackles and always finish moving forward. He's a smooth runner who loses little momentum in cuts and gets to his top gear quickly, blasting past defenders.
In four seasons, Price reached the 15-plus touch mark just once in 41 games, giving him little tread on the tires, but adding questions about his workhorse ability. He also had a tendency to bounce the ball to the outside, searching for big plays, and displayed fumbling concerns, coughing up the ball multiple times on the goal line in 2025. The lack of pass-catching acumen – just 18 career targets – is also a question heading to the NFL. However, he showed some promise in pass protection, indicating upside in that area.
Price not only brings rushing ability but is also a special teams weapon, returning two kickoffs for touchdowns in 2025. In just 22 career returns, he housed three.
A hard-charging back, Price can replace Walker while also exhibiting traits of Walker's former sidekick, power back Zach Charbonnet, whose season-ending ACL injury suffered in the playoffs has placed him on an uncertain timeline entering the 2026 season.
Fortunately, Seattle has a new horse to run -- in Charbonnet's place and eventually as half of a new tandem in the Pacific Northwest.
