RB Kenneth Walker III - SEA (3 Viewers)

[JohnnyU]

Looks like a contract year for Walker. If the Seahawks decide they don't want to pay a premium, we could see Charbonnet take over at some point or at least reason enough to expect a full blown RBBC.

?? If this would be walkers last year there, they run him into the ground.

This.. Coaches want to win. I'm not a Seahawks coach, but I don't think anyone in the facility believes Charbs is a better rb than Walker. I also don't think coaches look past the current season too much. I will say if I'm a coach and this is prolly the last year I got this rb and I think he is my best rb he is about to get some work. All my opinion of course.

Anyone? Does that even have legs to stand on?

Yes. Show me one clip or story where even one coach suggested Charbs was better.
Both coaching staffs have been very clear who they believe is the #1RB.

I don’t know which one is better and don’t care, but I’m more skeptical of Walker given his career stats and propensity for injury. He seems to have more apologists than Charbonnet. People seem OK with lying down on the sword. I’ve seen better RBs get get more grief.

 

[Bronco Billy]

I do not understand this assertion some are making that it is a closed case that Walker is the better runner. He’s not. Is he the sexier runner? Absolutely. But both game tape and stats support Charbonnet as being a better 1A and that Walker ought to be the 1B.

Walker literally scared no Ds last season. Over 80% of his runs were against light boxes. That bears repeating - there was not a single RB in the NFL that faced a higher rate of light boxes than Walker. No D feared him. None. Now, the SEA run game didn’t scare anyone with Charbonnet in there - 73% of his runs were against light boxes, but Charbonnet averaged 5.0 ypc against light boxes while Walker could only muster 4.1 ypc. That’s substantial, especially when your less productive guy is getting more work.

Here’s the basic difference between Walker and Charbonnet. Walker is a homerun hitter. If he gets a runway to the second level and then cuts downhill to the sideline it’s Katy bar the door. His problem is when he doesn’t get a clean runway, where he is indecisive and starts to dance or extend laterally, which allows the D to flow to the point of attack and outnumber his blockers. His vision is not great and he runs with almost no power. His ypc against stacked boxes was a pathetic 0.4 ypc, over 2 ypc less than Charbonnet.

Charbonnet does not have top lifting speed. But what he does have is reliability, the ability to get something out of nothing, and he can move a pile and navigate trash. He keeps his offense moving forward in good shape and allows for more long drives, which in turn helps chew up clock and rests the D - something Walker does not do reliably.

Charbonnet keeps his offense on or ahead of schedule much more reliably, where Walker may hit that homerun but leaves his offense behind the chains way too often. Now, if Mahomes or Allen is your QB then they can recover from being behind schedule because of their quick strike playmaking ability downfield or their open field running in busted plays. But if Geno Smith or Sam Darnold is your QB then you need to keep them in positive down and distance situations or the offense is going to start failing and your D is going to be on the field a lot more.

SEA - IMNSHO - has been using their two RBs exactly backwards. Charbonnet ought to be doing the heavy lifting and Walker ought to be used as the lightning part of thunder and lightning. Let Charbonnet keep the O in good spots and then hit them with Walker’s big play ability when the D has been softened up. As a bonus, Walker getting less work is going to hopefully increase his health throughout the season instead of pounding him as a CoP type back with heavier work load game after game - which he isn’t built for and is clearly a concern with Walker. Both guys may actually be more productive in this scenario, and given the talent maybe more productive by a lot.

I watch SEA’s O and get so frustrated. It’s like they’re using Biabatuka as their lead back and feathering in Fred Lane - with both RBs in SEA being significantly more talented than those guys - and are wasting the complimentary talents of both.

Among 45 qualifying backs, Walker ranked third in first downs per route run, sixth in target per route run rate, and sixth in receiving yards per game (per Fantasy Points Data). Add all of that on top of leading the NFL in missed tackles forced per attempt and ranking tenth in yards after contact per attempt, and Walker could be a league-winner in 2025.

Walker 6.5 ypr and 4.4 ypt

Charbonnet 8.1 ypr and 5.1 ypt

Again, a strong argument can be made that SEA had the 2 RBs’ workload misassigned. It would certainly be interesting to see it reversed, which could benefit both guys.

 

[Payne]

I do not understand this assertion some are making that it is a closed case that Walker is the better runner. He’s not. Is he the sexier runner? Absolutely. But both game tape and stats support Charbonnet as being a better 1A and that Walker ought to be the 1B.

Walker literally scared no Ds last season. Over 80% of his runs were against light boxes. That bears repeating - there was not a single RB in the NFL that faced a higher rate of light boxes than Walker. No D feared him. None. Now, the SEA run game didn’t scare anyone with Charbonnet in there - 73% of his runs were against light boxes, but Charbonnet averaged 5.0 ypc against light boxes while Walker could only muster 4.1 ypc. That’s substantial, especially when your less productive guy is getting more work.

Here’s the basic difference between Walker and Charbonnet. Walker is a homerun hitter. If he gets a runway to the second level and then cuts downhill to the sideline it’s Katy bar the door. His problem is when he doesn’t get a clean runway, where he is indecisive and starts to dance or extend laterally, which allows the D to flow to the point of attack and outnumber his blockers. His vision is not great and he runs with almost no power. His ypc against stacked boxes was a pathetic 0.4 ypc, over 2 ypc less than Charbonnet.

Charbonnet does not have top lifting speed. But what he does have is reliability, the ability to get something out of nothing, and he can move a pile and navigate trash. He keeps his offense moving forward in good shape and allows for more long drives, which in turn helps chew up clock and rests the D - something Walker does not do reliably.

Charbonnet keeps his offense on or ahead of schedule much more reliably, where Walker may hit that homerun but leaves his offense behind the chains way too often. Now, if Mahomes or Allen is your QB then they can recover from being behind schedule because of their quick strike playmaking ability downfield or their open field running in busted plays. But if Geno Smith or Sam Darnold is your QB then you need to keep them in positive down and distance situations or the offense is going to start failing and your D is going to be on the field a lot more.

SEA - IMNSHO - has been using their two RBs exactly backwards. Charbonnet ought to be doing the heavy lifting and Walker ought to be used as the lightning part of thunder and lightning. Let Charbonnet keep the O in good spots and then hit them with Walker’s big play ability when the D has been softened up. As a bonus, Walker getting less work is going to hopefully increase his health throughout the season instead of pounding him as a CoP type back with heavier work load game after game - which he isn’t built for and is clearly a concern with Walker. Both guys may actually be more productive in this scenario, and given the talent maybe more productive by a lot.

I watch SEA’s O and get so frustrated. It’s like they’re using Biabatuka as their lead back and feathering in Fred Lane - with both RBs in SEA being significantly more talented than those guys - and are wasting the complimentary talents of both.

Among 45 qualifying backs, Walker ranked third in first downs per route run, sixth in target per route run rate, and sixth in receiving yards per game (per Fantasy Points Data). Add all of that on top of leading the NFL in missed tackles forced per attempt and ranking tenth in yards after contact per attempt, and Walker could be a league-winner in 2025.

Walker 6.5 ypr and 4.4 ypt

Charbonnet 8.1 ypr and 5.1 ypt

Again, a strong argument can be made that SEA had the 2 RBs’ workload misassigned. It would certainly be interesting to see it reversed, which could benefit both guys.

Not going to happen. Both staffs have made it clear who they believe is the better RB.
As I said last year, this is the perfect handcuff backfield. Last year, not only did Walker maintain his workload, his role in the passing game increased.
When Walker is healthy, he is the guy. Period. When he is not, Charbonnet fills in and provides very good results.

 

[satch]

I do not understand this assertion some are making that it is a closed case that Walker is the better runner. He’s not. Is he the sexier runner? Absolutely. But both game tape and stats support Charbonnet as being a better 1A and that Walker ought to be the 1B.

Walker literally scared no Ds last season. Over 80% of his runs were against light boxes. That bears repeating - there was not a single RB in the NFL that faced a higher rate of light boxes than Walker. No D feared him. None. Now, the SEA run game didn’t scare anyone with Charbonnet in there - 73% of his runs were against light boxes, but Charbonnet averaged 5.0 ypc against light boxes while Walker could only muster 4.1 ypc. That’s substantial, especially when your less productive guy is getting more work.

Here’s the basic difference between Walker and Charbonnet. Walker is a homerun hitter. If he gets a runway to the second level and then cuts downhill to the sideline it’s Katy bar the door. His problem is when he doesn’t get a clean runway, where he is indecisive and starts to dance or extend laterally, which allows the D to flow to the point of attack and outnumber his blockers. His vision is not great and he runs with almost no power. His ypc against stacked boxes was a pathetic 0.4 ypc, over 2 ypc less than Charbonnet.

Charbonnet does not have top lifting speed. But what he does have is reliability, the ability to get something out of nothing, and he can move a pile and navigate trash. He keeps his offense moving forward in good shape and allows for more long drives, which in turn helps chew up clock and rests the D - something Walker does not do reliably.

Charbonnet keeps his offense on or ahead of schedule much more reliably, where Walker may hit that homerun but leaves his offense behind the chains way too often. Now, if Mahomes or Allen is your QB then they can recover from being behind schedule because of their quick strike playmaking ability downfield or their open field running in busted plays. But if Geno Smith or Sam Darnold is your QB then you need to keep them in positive down and distance situations or the offense is going to start failing and your D is going to be on the field a lot more.

SEA - IMNSHO - has been using their two RBs exactly backwards. Charbonnet ought to be doing the heavy lifting and Walker ought to be used as the lightning part of thunder and lightning. Let Charbonnet keep the O in good spots and then hit them with Walker’s big play ability when the D has been softened up. As a bonus, Walker getting less work is going to hopefully increase his health throughout the season instead of pounding him as a CoP type back with heavier work load game after game - which he isn’t built for and is clearly a concern with Walker. Both guys may actually be more productive in this scenario, and given the talent maybe more productive by a lot.

I watch SEA’s O and get so frustrated. It’s like they’re using Biabatuka as their lead back and feathering in Fred Lane - with both RBs in SEA being significantly more talented than those guys - and are wasting the complimentary talents of both.

Among 45 qualifying backs, Walker ranked third in first downs per route run, sixth in target per route run rate, and sixth in receiving yards per game (per Fantasy Points Data). Add all of that on top of leading the NFL in missed tackles forced per attempt and ranking tenth in yards after contact per attempt, and Walker could be a league-winner in 2025.

Walker 6.5 ypr and 4.4 ypt

Charbonnet 8.1 ypr and 5.1 ypt

Again, a strong argument can be made that SEA had the 2 RBs’ workload misassigned. It would certainly be interesting to see it reversed, which could benefit both guys.

Not going to happen. Both staffs have made it clear who they believe is the better RB.
As I said last year, this is the perfect handcuff backfield. Last year, not only did Walker maintain his workload, his role in the passing game increased.
When Walker is healthy, he is the guy. Period. When he is not, Charbonnet fills in and provides very good results.

After what we saw last year, Seattle may believe Walker is the more explosive RB but also believe they don’t miss a beat when Charbonnet is in there. In some situations, Charbonnet may be preferable. Given Walker’s injury history, the most sensible approach is to use them both. Keeps both fresher, gives the defense slightly different looks.

 

[taylormeetstheismann]

When Walker is healthy, he is the guy. Period. When he is not, Charbonnet fills in and provides very good results.

I think this is the truth. And if Charbs is 90-95% as good as Walker, it remains the truth. If Charbs was 5-10% better than Walker, he’d be the starter.

 

[menobrown]

I doubt this happens and while it's a weak speculative report seeing stuff like this makes me keep hope alive(mainly for Charbs). This was filed under a section of on article called "Any Veterans on the Move" by the Seahawks beat writer with the Athletic.

*FWIW last year this guy wrote an article and asked if we anyone had question and I responded by telling him he's not telling us what we all want to know, which is how is the RB situation going to break out. He replied, "dude, just draft K9"


Anyway from the article today which was wrote after he covered possibly trading Fant:


The same scenario applies at wide receiver and running back. Seattle had three running backs on the active roster last year: Ken Walker III, Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh. The team can raise that number to four to account for seventh-round pick Damien Martinez or move one of the veterans (Seattle typically keeps at least one running back on the practice squad; last year it was George Holani, who is still on the roster).

 

[FarFromHome]

I do not understand this assertion some are making that it is a closed case that Walker is the better runner. He’s not. Is he the sexier runner? Absolutely. But both game tape and stats support Charbonnet as being a better 1A and that Walker ought to be the 1B.

Walker literally scared no Ds last season. Over 80% of his runs were against light boxes. That bears repeating - there was not a single RB in the NFL that faced a higher rate of light boxes than Walker. No D feared him. None. Now, the SEA run game didn’t scare anyone with Charbonnet in there - 73% of his runs were against light boxes, but Charbonnet averaged 5.0 ypc against light boxes while Walker could only muster 4.1 ypc. That’s substantial, especially when your less productive guy is getting more work.

Here’s the basic difference between Walker and Charbonnet. Walker is a homerun hitter. If he gets a runway to the second level and then cuts downhill to the sideline it’s Katy bar the door. His problem is when he doesn’t get a clean runway, where he is indecisive and starts to dance or extend laterally, which allows the D to flow to the point of attack and outnumber his blockers. His vision is not great and he runs with almost no power. His ypc against stacked boxes was a pathetic 0.4 ypc, over 2 ypc less than Charbonnet.

Charbonnet does not have top lifting speed. But what he does have is reliability, the ability to get something out of nothing, and he can move a pile and navigate trash. He keeps his offense moving forward in good shape and allows for more long drives, which in turn helps chew up clock and rests the D - something Walker does not do reliably.

Charbonnet keeps his offense on or ahead of schedule much more reliably, where Walker may hit that homerun but leaves his offense behind the chains way too often. Now, if Mahomes or Allen is your QB then they can recover from being behind schedule because of their quick strike playmaking ability downfield or their open field running in busted plays. But if Geno Smith or Sam Darnold is your QB then you need to keep them in positive down and distance situations or the offense is going to start failing and your D is going to be on the field a lot more.

SEA - IMNSHO - has been using their two RBs exactly backwards. Charbonnet ought to be doing the heavy lifting and Walker ought to be used as the lightning part of thunder and lightning. Let Charbonnet keep the O in good spots and then hit them with Walker’s big play ability when the D has been softened up. As a bonus, Walker getting less work is going to hopefully increase his health throughout the season instead of pounding him as a CoP type back with heavier work load game after game - which he isn’t built for and is clearly a concern with Walker. Both guys may actually be more productive in this scenario, and given the talent maybe more productive by a lot.

I watch SEA’s O and get so frustrated. It’s like they’re using Biabatuka as their lead back and feathering in Fred Lane - with both RBs in SEA being significantly more talented than those guys - and are wasting the complimentary talents of both.

Among 45 qualifying backs, Walker ranked third in first downs per route run, sixth in target per route run rate, and sixth in receiving yards per game (per Fantasy Points Data). Add all of that on top of leading the NFL in missed tackles forced per attempt and ranking tenth in yards after contact per attempt, and Walker could be a league-winner in 2025.

Walker 6.5 ypr and 4.4 ypt

Charbonnet 8.1 ypr and 5.1 ypt

Again, a strong argument can be made that SEA had the 2 RBs’ workload misassigned. It would certainly be interesting to see it reversed, which could benefit both guys.

Not going to happen. Both staffs have made it clear who they believe is the better RB.
As I said last year, this is the perfect handcuff backfield. Last year, not only did Walker maintain his workload, his role in the passing game increased.
When Walker is healthy, he is the guy. Period. When he is not, Charbonnet fills in and provides very good results.

After what we saw last year, Seattle may believe Walker is the more explosive RB but also believe they don’t miss a beat when Charbonnet is in there. In some situations, Charbonnet may be preferable. Given Walker’s injury history, the most sensible approach is to use them both. Keeps both fresher, gives the defense slightly different looks.

You summed up today's NFL in regards to rbs on all teams. You could rewrite your post and substitute every other team and it's rbs. So although I agree with u I just can't get over one simple thought. If I'm the coach I play the guy who i believe has the best chance to score from anywhere on the field. I just believe that guy is Walker. If both guys stay healthy they could have arguably the best tandem in the league. Imo

 

[dipandglide]

My intuition says he has a big year if he stays involved in the passing game. There are some health issues, but that's true for most RBs.

 

[Payne]

I'm not overly concerned about his injury history. We all know it can happen to any player on any day.
I also think he probably could have played through a few of his injuries, but why when Seattle could plug Charbonnet in?

In 2021 Walker had 263 carries and 1,636 yards along with 18 touchdowns while literally carrying MSU.
Over 12 games that is 22 carries a game. He can carry the load.

 

[JohnnyU]

I'm not overly concerned about his injury history. We all know it can happen to any player on any day.
I also think he probably could have played through a few of his injuries, but why when Seattle could plug Charbonnet in?

In 2021 Walker had 263 carries and 1,636 yards along with 18 touchdowns while literally carrying MSU.
Over 12 games that is 22 carries a game. He can carry the load.

Being dismissive about injuries by saying it could happen to anyone on any day seems lazy to me for the purpose of side stepping. Also, I think we’re way past the point of discussing college production when talking Walker. He’s entering year four of his NFL career.

 

[Payne]

I'm not overly concerned about his injury history. We all know it can happen to any player on any day.
I also think he probably could have played through a few of his injuries, but why when Seattle could plug Charbonnet in?

In 2021 Walker had 263 carries and 1,636 yards along with 18 touchdowns while literally carrying MSU.
Over 12 games that is 22 carries a game. He can carry the load.

Being dismissive about injuries by saying it could happen to anyone on any day seems lazy to me for the purpose of side stepping. Also, I think we’re way past the point of discussing college production when talking Walker. He’s entering year four of his NFL career.

Lazy? Really? Can it not happen to any player at any time? Absolutely. And it's not like he has torn an ACL or Achilles here.

I knew somebody would question my MSU reference. The point is he has shown the ability to carry the load.
Didn't think I would have to clarify that in this forum.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

I’m slightly bearish to neutral on Walker for redraft. I’m not sure I’d spend a 1st on him in dynasty. But that might have more to do with my preference to go cheap at RB and build around WR.

That said, Walker had a couple of things go wrong last year.

1. he failed to stay on the field, again.
2. Charbonet was a more than adequate replacement when he was out.

I don’t think Charbs is going away, and they both put a cap on each others numbers if both are healthy.

The trend for KWIII is also a little concerning. He’s started 11, 15, and 11 games.

RuTD - 9, 8, 7
RuYards - 1050, 905, 573
His receptions have gone up every year, so that’s a positive, but then we go back to the availability question.

He’s tried to play through injury and struggled a bit, so the contract year doesn’t necessarily inspire me that he’s suddenly going to be an iron man tryina get a new contract.

Someone said “not like he tore his ACL” and actually his injuries worry me more than that. Torn ACL can result in full recovery. KWIII has had a bunch of soft tissue injuries, including multiple abdominal strains, a groin pull, and a sports hernia. Also calf & thigh strains.

All grade 1, all nagging soft tissue stuff that keeps him off the field. And those types of injuries can crop back up at any time. IMO those are much worse than a predictable recovery timeline injury like ACL.

I dunno. A lot of red flags for me with KWIII, and the Seahawks inability to improve the interior line in FA is another one. Drafting dudes is fine, but they swung and missed at a few very good linemen. So now they have to count on rookies.

Just seems like a lot of risk in dynasty with a somewhat capped ceiling due to Charbonet’s presence. I’d probably dip my toes in for redraft, but unless I can get him super cheap, I’m out in Dynasty until he proves he can stay on the field and dominate touches.

 

[menobrown]

I'm not overly concerned about his injury history. We all know it can happen to any player on any day.
I also think he probably could have played through a few of his injuries, but why when Seattle could plug Charbonnet in?

In 2021 Walker had 263 carries and 1,636 yards along with 18 touchdowns while literally carrying MSU.
Over 12 games that is 22 carries a game. He can carry the load.

Being dismissive about injuries by saying it could happen to anyone on any day seems lazy to me for the purpose of side stepping. Also, I think we’re way past the point of discussing college production when talking Walker. He’s entering year four of his NFL career.

Lazy? Really? Can it not happen to any player at any time? Absolutely. And it's not like he has torn an ACL or Achilles here.

I knew somebody would question my MSU reference. The point is he has shown the ability to carry the load.
Didn't think I would have to clarify that in this forum.

I go a little bit both ways on this with Walker.

I've heard people like Dr. Chao say the notion a player is injury prone is a myth and I tend to agree in the big picture but requires a little more nuance. I think it's less of a myth when a player has had major injuries like you referenced that can lead to compensation or re-injury. Players who just don't take care of themselves. None of this applies to Walker but one thing does which is a constantly re-occuring injury. If you look at his injury history he has two that keep coming up. Multiple ankle sprains but the biggest one has been an odd one, multiple abdomen strains including a hernia procedure which I think might be related. This does put him into a little higher risk of injury IMO as the same issues keep coming up.

A lot of this reminds me a lot of the D'Andre Swift discussions. After 3 seasons he had played in 80% of his games and a lot of people were bellyaching over how injury prone he was and really missing 20% of your games at this position after 3 years is not even that bad but that's beside the point. Walker is almost to the game matching Swift in terms of missed games. Swift had played in 40 out of 50 games and Walker has played in 41 out of 51.

Swift has now been healthy enough to play in 34 straight games but also fair to point out that Swift did not keep suffering the same injuries like Walker has been prone to.

A lot of luck with injuries, I don't view Walker as a massive injury risk, but a little elevated for a few missed games for sure.

 

[menobrown]

I’m slightly bearish to neutral on Walker for redraft. I’m not sure I’d spend a 1st on him in dynasty.

I don’t think Charbs is going away, and they both put a cap on each others numbers if both are healthy.

Agree with a lot of your post, maybe could nitpick a few things, but I was for sure not seeing these two the same way.

I'd put a value of a high first on Walker in dynasty, would slot him as my RB3 if he was in the draft and on the second part the odds suggest they got one year left together and it's two it's because Walker had such a great year they could not let him go. Also on that point is that Walker was per game production even with Charbs fully available every single game he played was RB12 last year and a lot of that is due to his increased passing game involvement which has always been an easy way to produce fantasy points on less volume.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

I’m slightly bearish to neutral on Walker for redraft. I’m not sure I’d spend a 1st on him in dynasty.

I don’t think Charbs is going away, and they both put a cap on each others numbers if both are healthy.

Agree with a lot of your post, maybe could nitpick a few things, but I was for sure not seeing these two the same way.

I'd put a value of a high first on Walker in dynasty, would slot him as my RB3 if he was in the draft and on the second part the odds suggest they got one year left together and it's two it's because Walker had such a great year they could not let him go. Also on that point is that Walker was per game production even with Charbs fully available every single game he played was RB12 last year and a lot of that is due to his increased passing game involvement which has always been an easy way to produce fantasy points on less volume.

That’s fair.

And you’re correct about the receiving game and I pointed that out above - and as long as he’s the favored receiving back it will keep his PPR value high. No argument there at all.

The abdominal injuries concern me the most.

And he probably is worth a 1st - I said that I wouldn’t pay a 1st for him. That’s more a personal preference than it is about his valuation - sorry if that wasn’t clear.

 

[Scoresman]

I'm not overly concerned about his injury history. We all know it can happen to any player on any day.
I also think he probably could have played through a few of his injuries, but why when Seattle could plug Charbonnet in?

In 2021 Walker had 263 carries and 1,636 yards along with 18 touchdowns while literally carrying MSU.
Over 12 games that is 22 carries a game. He can carry the load.

Being dismissive about injuries by saying it could happen to anyone on any day seems lazy to me for the purpose of side stepping. Also, I think we’re way past the point of discussing college production when talking Walker. He’s entering year four of his NFL career.

Lazy? Really? Can it not happen to any player at any time? Absolutely. And it's not like he has torn an ACL or Achilles here.

I knew somebody would question my MSU reference. The point is he has shown the ability to carry the load.
Didn't think I would have to clarify that in this forum.

I go a little bit both ways on this with Walker.

I've heard people like Dr. Chao say the notion a player is injury prone is a myth and I tend to agree in the big picture but requires a little more nuance. I think it's less of a myth when a player has had major injuries like you referenced that can lead to compensation or re-injury. Players who just don't take care of themselves. None of this applies to Walker but one thing does which is a constantly re-occuring injury. If you look at his injury history he has two that keep coming up. Multiple ankle sprains but the biggest one has been an odd one, multiple abdomen strains including a hernia procedure which I think might be related. This does put him into a little higher risk of injury IMO as the same issues keep coming up.

A lot of this reminds me a lot of the D'Andre Swift discussions. After 3 seasons he had played in 80% of his games and a lot of people were bellyaching over how injury prone he was and really missing 20% of your games at this position after 3 years is not even that bad but that's beside the point. Walker is almost to the game matching Swift in terms of missed games. Swift had played in 40 out of 50 games and Walker has played in 41 out of 51.

Swift has now been healthy enough to play in 34 straight games but also fair to point out that Swift did not keep suffering the same injuries like Walker has been prone to.

A lot of luck with injuries, I don't view Walker as a massive injury risk, but a little elevated for a few missed games for sure.

Thanks for this post. I actually do think different players are at higher risk for consistent injury but agree that it is very nuanced. I think anything from running style, coaching, to offensive line quality, even maybe down to the DNA level might factor in. Remember Darren McFadden?

In the case of Walker, I feel like the jury is still out due to low sample size, but I think it's a contract year for him, so he may be more inclined to play through some of his bang ups.

 

[menobrown]

I'm not overly concerned about his injury history. We all know it can happen to any player on any day.
I also think he probably could have played through a few of his injuries, but why when Seattle could plug Charbonnet in?

In 2021 Walker had 263 carries and 1,636 yards along with 18 touchdowns while literally carrying MSU.
Over 12 games that is 22 carries a game. He can carry the load.

Being dismissive about injuries by saying it could happen to anyone on any day seems lazy to me for the purpose of side stepping. Also, I think we’re way past the point of discussing college production when talking Walker. He’s entering year four of his NFL career.

Lazy? Really? Can it not happen to any player at any time? Absolutely. And it's not like he has torn an ACL or Achilles here.

I knew somebody would question my MSU reference. The point is he has shown the ability to carry the load.
Didn't think I would have to clarify that in this forum.

I go a little bit both ways on this with Walker.

I've heard people like Dr. Chao say the notion a player is injury prone is a myth and I tend to agree in the big picture but requires a little more nuance. I think it's less of a myth when a player has had major injuries like you referenced that can lead to compensation or re-injury. Players who just don't take care of themselves. None of this applies to Walker but one thing does which is a constantly re-occuring injury. If you look at his injury history he has two that keep coming up. Multiple ankle sprains but the biggest one has been an odd one, multiple abdomen strains including a hernia procedure which I think might be related. This does put him into a little higher risk of injury IMO as the same issues keep coming up.

A lot of this reminds me a lot of the D'Andre Swift discussions. After 3 seasons he had played in 80% of his games and a lot of people were bellyaching over how injury prone he was and really missing 20% of your games at this position after 3 years is not even that bad but that's beside the point. Walker is almost to the game matching Swift in terms of missed games. Swift had played in 40 out of 50 games and Walker has played in 41 out of 51.

Swift has now been healthy enough to play in 34 straight games but also fair to point out that Swift did not keep suffering the same injuries like Walker has been prone to.

A lot of luck with injuries, I don't view Walker as a massive injury risk, but a little elevated for a few missed games for sure.

Thanks for this post. I actually do think different players are at higher risk for consistent injury but agree that it is very nuanced. I think anything from running style, coaching, to offensive line quality, even maybe down to the DNA level might factor in. Remember Darren McFadden?

In the case of Walker, I feel like the jury is still out due to low sample size, but I think it's a contract year for him, so he may be more inclined to play through some of his bang ups.

First off I'm a Razorback so I'll always remember Darren McFadden.

But on Walker as a follow up dude might already be dealing with an injury. I'm sure nothing to worry about, just going back to with some players it happens so much it ceases to stop feeling random.


@BradyHenderson
-Ken Walker III was in uniform and wearing a helmet, but I didn't see him to much, if anything, in the way of team drills. We didn't hear from Mike Macdonald after practice, so no official word on that. Ernest Jones IV also didn't do much as he's recovering from knee surgery.

 

[TripItUp]

I like Walker more best balls than redrafts because of his propensity to break long ones. I probably won't have many shares in managed leagues....too many other, better values out there and he's going in a range where I like to take other positions.

 

[Dacomish]

In case anyone is taking notice, already has a minor ankle tweak...

Running back Kenneth Walker III also has been limited with what Macdonald said is an ankle injury.

“He’s working through an ankle, but he will be fine,’’ Macdonald said.

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/cooper-kupp-sam-darnold-among-stories-after-seahawks-first-day-of-minicamp/#comments

 

[JoeJoe88]

If you roster Walker and don’t also go out of your way to acquire Charbonnet as well then you deserve the headaches he brings with him.

I learned this the hard way last year.

 

[Dacomish]

2nd day of Minicamp, Walker got some limited work in for what it's worth:

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/seahawks-minicamp-5-takeaways-as-veterans-bolt-for-summer-analysis/

 

[dmac37]

From Fantasy Points:

Statistically Significant: Rushing Schemes | Fantasy Points

Breaking down the NFL's top run game tactics, the teams that use them the most, the players that excel in them, and changes for 2025.

www.fantasypoints.com

Seattle Seahawks​

Ken Walker and Zach Charbonnet​

Though Kamara is about to lose all of the efficiency gains associated with new Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak’s outside zone scheme, Ken Walker is about to benefit from them. Walker averages 4.54 career YPC on outside zone, reflecting a ~13% efficiency boost compared to all other carries. In contrast, Zach Charbonnet has averaged just 3.67 career YPC on outside zone, ~21% less than his average on other carries.

The boom-or-bust nature of outside zone also cleanly dovetails with Walker’s play style. As I discussed at the top of this article, outside zone possesses high stuff and explosive play rates. That’s also true of Walker, who ranks top-5 in percent of yards gained on big plays since entering the NFL while also ranking in the top half of the league in stuff rate each season.

Most importantly, Klint Kubiak and the rest of the Seahawks’ organization seem to agree with me. Get Zach Charbonnet out of your head.


I’ve already written about Walker’s many other virtues (including his potential to work in the screen game and his evolution into a three-down back) at length this offseason, so I won’t repeat myself here. I’ll just reaffirm that so long as he remains the RB20 by Underdog ADP, he’ll be my favorite value on the entire board.