Jadarian Price: Can Seattle's first-round RB fill Kenneth Walker's boots?

Jadarian Price didn't start a single game at Notre Dame, and yet here he is, as the Seattle Seahawks first-round pick, tasked with replacing a Super Bowl MVP.

It would be grossly unfair to suggest the Seahawks won the Vince Lombardi Trophy solely because of Kenneth Walker, but he was certainly the key contributor.

As the 32nd overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, Price's arrival in Seattle begs the question - can he fill Walker's large shoes and give the Seahawks a chance at a rare repeat?

We dig into his draft profile and the scheme fit and answer that question below.

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Price's college profile at Notre Dame

With no context, those zero starts for the Fighting Irish would be worrisome. But when that context includes standout tailback Jeremiyah Love, the third overall pick, the reason Price never got the keys becomes clear.

At almost any other program he'd have been 'the guy'. At Notre Dame, he was the second option in a lopsided backfield.

Crucially, when Price did get carries, he delivered, with 113 carries for 674 yards, and 11 touchdowns.

He has special instincts, sees the crease early, keeps low, and when he's not running by defenders, his rugged running style makes him a nightmare to bring down.

And having had under 10 touches a game the last two seasons, he is not carrying the mileage most first-rounders bring with them.

Then there's the return ability. Price became the first player in Notre Dame history to return two kickoffs for 100-plus yards in the same season last year.

How Price fits in Seattle

The scheme is a natural fit. Price knows it too.

"Outside zone, that's my bread and butter," he said in his introductory press conference. "Just being able to make one decisive move and get vertical."

That's exactly what new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury runs. Fleury arrives from San Francisco, where he worked under Kyle Shanahan's West Coast system, the same offensive tree that shaped Seattle's scheme under predecessor Klint Kubiak.

GM John Schneider was effusive about Price's skillset.

"Instant acceleration, vision, cut back ability, but his ability to work it back, not just completely bouncing all the time, working it back inside," he said.

"And then probably his contact balance... One of his super talents is his ability to cut back and crease it. He has home run speed; he has a lot of explosive runs."

Carmen Mandato / Staff

Head coach Mike Macdonald was equally bullish on the person as much as the player.

"You learn about the person, about the leadership, the resiliency, the humility, just the commitment to Notre Dame by staying there… Loyalty. The family story. All these things," Macdonald said.

"It's a great, cool story. Something to get excited about. You love talking to and you can envision him just sticking out here. You can feel him in the building and feel like he's one of us."

Price's competition in the Seahawks' backfield

Despite the rave reviews, Price isn't likely to walk into a featured role from the off. Zach Charbonnet, who entered the 2025 season in somewhat of a committee with Walker, is on schedule in his recovery from an ACL injury.

His return date is unclear, but speaking of his recovery, Schneider said "I can tell you he’s killing it."

George Holani, Kenny McIntosh and 2026 free-agent addition Emanuel Wilson are also in the mix, meaning Price, despite his first-round capital, still has to earn his spot.

Can Price help Seattle repeat?

Walker ran for 1,027 yards at a 4.6 yards per carry average in the regular season, then erupted for 313 yards and four touchdowns in three postseason games.

Kevin C. Cox / Staff

Replacing that production will no doubt be tough, but the Seahawks aren't asking Price to be Walker.

They 'simply' need a zone-scheme runner with home run speed who can take the top off a defense, and that's precisely what he offers.

Back-to-back Super Bowls is a brutal ask for any team. But in two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Sam Darnold and Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle have the talent on the roster to get the job done.

And now they have a new running back who can be the final piece of that puzzle.