The defending champs have a big hole in their roster to fill from last season. They were unable to re-sign Kenneth Walker this offseason, with the Super Bowl MVP leaving for Kansas City. Walker was instrumental to the Seahawks’ offense last season. He racked up a career-high 1,309 scrimmage yards across 17 regular season games, and he was even better in the playoffs. He led all players with 313 rushing yards and 417 scrimmage yards in the postseason, and he added four total touchdowns.
With Walker gone, it opens up a massive hole in the Seahawks’ backfield. They chose to address that need by selecting Jadarian Price in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
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However, Price isn’t generating nearly the same buzz that we usually see for a first-round rookie running back. He’s coming off the board with an ADP of just 60.7, good for a price tag of just RB25. To put that in perspective, Jeremiyah Love is coming off the board at 28.8 overall, making him RB13.
While it makes sense that Price isn’t being valued the same as Love, his price tag still stands out as an outlier. Omarian Hampton was picked in a similar range as Price in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he had an ADP of roughly 29 overall (RB14).
So what gives? Is Price a massive value at the moment, or are drafters right in viewing him skeptically? Let’s make the case for and against Price before delivering our final verdict.
The Case for Price
The case for Price is pretty simple, and it’s not one that a lot of fantasy analysts have made this offseason. As a first-round pick, he theoretically has plenty of talent in an excellent situation. Price didn’t get a chance to put his talent on display throughout much of his college career, stuck behind Love on Notre Dame’s depth chart. That said, he was excellent in his opportunities. He averaged 6.2 yards per attempt in 2024 and 6.0 yards per attempt last season, and he added 20 total touchdowns.
Price followed that up with a solid showing at the NFL Combine. He ran a 4.49 40-yard dash, putting him in the 79th percentile for NFL running backs. Player Profiler lists his closest comp as Miles Sanders, who racked up more than 1,300 scrimmage yards with six touchdowns in his rookie season.
Then, there’s the competition he’ll face in Seattle. Zach Charbonnet will officially start the season on the PUP list, meaning he’ll miss at least the first four games of the season. That leaves Price as the team’s de facto starter, and if he performs well in that role, he could take the job and run with it.
Price will still have to contend with George Holani for touches, and the Seahawks have definitely talked him up this offseason. But it’s hard to imagine a guy that the Seahawks selected in the first-round of the draft losing too much work to an undrafted rookie from 2024. Holani has just 25 carries and three targets through his first two professional seasons.
Ultimately, the door is open for Price to make an early statement in this backfield, and if he impresses, he could be a legitimate league-winner. Seattle averaged the 10th-most rushing yards and eighth-most rushing TDs per game last season, and they were 26th in Dropback Over Expectation. Despite splitting the work last season, both Walker and Charbonnet finished inside the top 24 in 0.5-PPR scoring at running back. That seems like a very reasonable outcome for Price, and he has the ceiling for much more.
The Case Against Price
Being a first-round pick does not exactly guarantee success at the NFL level. He wouldn’t even be the first Seattle first-round RB to bust with the past decade (Rashaad Penny; 2018). Other notable whiffs include Sony Michel (31st overall, 2018), Trent Richardson (third overall, 2012), and David Wilson (32nd overall, 2012). There are plenty of other examples who were simply “meh” instead of being outright busts; Najee Harris and Clyde Edwards-Helaire are two examples from just the past five years.
As far as collegiate production goes, it’s hard to find a first-round RB with less impressive stats than Price. He had just a 2.5% target share (fifth percentile) and a 17.2% Dominator Rating (17.2%). There was obviously a reason for it – it would’ve been hard for almost any RB to get work behind Love – but it’s still a bit of a red flag.
Price’s athleticism is also pretty middling in terms of first-round RBs. He had a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of just 8.33, which ranks 47th among 68 measured first-round runners since 1987. That’s not automatically a deal breaker – it puts him between Christian McCaffrey and Doug Martin, both of which were awesome fantasy players – but when combined with his limited collegiate production, it doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence.
Price’s competition might also be a bit stiffer than expected. Holani is clearly going to be a factor this season, with ESPN’s Brady Henderson recently reporting that the Seahawks would mix in a “heavy dose.” Emanuel Wilson was also brought in as a free agent this offseason, and he could serve as the team’s power back. Eventually, Charbonnet is going to get back in the mix as well, so if Price doesn’t establish himself early, this could end up being a headache of a committee for fantasy purposes.
Final Verdict
With the way that Price is being drafted at the moment, he is firmly in the “RB Dead Zone” for fantasy drafts. All of the RBs coming off the board in his price range have at least one question. Guys like Quinshon Judkins, Bhayshul Tuten, and both Patriots’ RBs are available in this range, and they feel just as risky as Price. I don’t blame anyone who wants to address the RB position earlier this season and then look to the pass-catchers or a quarterback at this point in the draft.
That said, if you do go with a RB in this price range, I think Price is the best of the bunch. He plays for a fantastic team that should result in plenty of favorable game scripts throughout the year. Price has also drawn solid praise throughout camp, and the Seahawks have held him out of all of their preseason contests. That’s rare for a rookie, and it could suggest that they have significant plans for him this season.
That said, that’s just my opinion. Our expert rankers aren’t nearly as interested in Price as I am. Chris Gimino has him at No. 63 overall, while Sean Koerner has him all the way down at No. 73. That puts him as his RB29, which makes him a risky choice as a starter.
One thing that feels fair is that Price has significant upside and downside. I could see him finishing inside the top 15 or 20 at the position, but he could also fall outside the top 40. That wide range of outcomes is why he’s available at such a reasonable price tag, and I can’t help but gamble on that upside if I’m looking for a RB in Round 5.
Pictured: Jadarian Price
Photo Credit: Imagn
