THE WALKER FILE
Team: Seattle Seahawks
Position: Running back
Height: 5-9
Weight: 211
40 time: 4.38
College: Michigan State
Draft: Second round, 41st pick, 2022
Contract: Signed a four-year, rookie four-year, $8,441 million deal, 2022
WAG: Single
Children: None
Record/Accomplishments:
PFWA All-Rookie Team, 2022
Walker Camp Award, 2021
Doak Walker Award, 2021
Unanimous All-American, 2021
First-team All Big-Ten, 2021
If there’s one position the Seattle Seahawks under coach Pete Carroll will never overlook it’s running back. Yes, that’s a bit unconventional in today’s pass-happy NFL but Carroll is old school. His commitment to the run game is unwavering.
It’s why Carroll used a first-round pick in the 2018 Draft on Rashaad Penny from San Diego State. It was considered a reach and perhaps it was. But when the Seahawks saw Walker was still available in the second round, it was a like card player turning over two aces.
This pick looks like it’s going to payoff bigtime for the Seahawks and for Walker.
He signed with Wake Forest out of high school, the only Power Five school to offer Walker and one of just three offers he received. After two productive seasons at Wake, Walker transferred to Michigan State, hoping to show he was an elite back. It took one game.
Walker rushed for 264 yards and four touchdowns in his debut. His combination of speed (4.38 in the 40), balance and power were evident for all to see. By the end of the season Walker finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy after rushing for 1,636 yards and 18 touchdowns.
After taking an offensive guard (Charles Cross) in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seahawks used one of two second-round picks on Walker and drafted an offensive tackle (Abraham Lucas) in the third round. It was all part of Carroll’s plan to upgrade the run game. Seattle finished 18th in team rushing but with an impressive 4.8 yards per carry was top five. Walker led the effort with 1,050 yards (4.6 yards per carry) and nine touchdowns. What certainly thrilled old-school Carroll was this:
Walker had zero fumbles in 228 carries.
The young running back and old school coach are a match made in Seattle football heaven.