Seahawks Post-Offseason Depth Chart Review: Running Back

While Chris Carson's status remains unclear, Seattle should roll into a new season with plenty of talent and depth in the backfield, starting with the return of a rejuvenated Rashaad Penny and an explosive rookie.

Over the past five seasons, in the aftermath of Marshawn Lynch's departure in 2016, the Seahawks haven't had a shortage of talent in the backfield and have invested heavily in the position.

But those investments - including a first-round pick used on Rashaad Penny in 2018 - haven't necessarily yielded desired results with the group consistently ravaged by injuries. Penny missed nearly 30 games in his first four seasons, while Chris Carson missed the better part of two of the past five seasons and 32 regular season games total. On top of that, players such as C.J. Prosise, Thomas Rawls, and Alex Collins have missed extended stretches injured.

With Carson's status now unknown coming off neck surgery, Seattle once again aggressively pursued backfield reinforcements, using a second-round pick on Michigan State's Ken Walker III to team him up with Penny. Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas will be back for their fourth and third seasons with the organization respectively, while Josh Johnson and Darwin Thompson will also battle for roster spots at what coach Pete Carroll called a "volatile spot" after day two of the 2022 NFL Draft.

"Guys get banged up, and with the way we ask our guys to run, we need rotations. We like playing multiple guys and we don’t have any problem with that at all. I’ve said it to you a million times," Carroll said. "I’m fine about going with who is hot, but also, we have to find a way to keep our guys healthy. That’s why the rotation is so important, so we don’t overwork them, particularly early in the year, so we can keep the good momentum building.”

Heading into their annual six-week moratorium between organized team activities and training camp, how does the Seahawks running back room look? Diving into the depth chart, here's an updated look at the projected starter, a sleeper to watch, a potential wild card to keep an eye on, and a player squarely on the roster bubble.

Projected Starter: Rashaad Penny

Rebounding from three-plus seasons dogged by injuries, Penny finally lived up to his first-round billing with a historic final five games to close out the 2021 season for the Seahawks. Averaging nearly 7.0 yards per carry, he blitzed opposing defenses with seven rushes of 25 or more yards and led the NFL with 671 yards and six rushing touchdowns during that span. After showing how electric he could be when healthy, Seattle re-upped him on a one-year contract worth $5.75 million and he will have an opportunity to be the team's bell cow for the first time in his career. Durability concerns remain a question mark, but in terms of talent, the ex-San Diego State star has the goods to be a 1,000-yard rusher and potentially be in play to win a rushing title with his propensity for explosive runs.

Sleeper: Ken Walker III

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From a fantasy perspective, if there's a reason away from injury to think Penny could be handcuffed production-wise, it's the presence of the dynamic Walker, who the Seahawks drafted in the second round in April. Named the Doak Walker Award winner at Michigan State in 2021, he exploded with north of 1,600 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, including five in a single game against a talented Michigan defense. Possessing sub-4.40 speed, outstanding quickness, and superb ball carrier vision, he possesses all the tools necessary to thrive as a feature back in Seattle's zone-heavy offense and if he takes a big step forward as a receiver and pass protector, he could be vying for the starting job sooner rather than later.

Wild Card: Chris Carson

Few runners in the NFL have been more productive than Carson over the past four years when healthy. He surpassed 1,000 yards during the 2018 and 2019 seasons and still averaged a healthy 4.8 yards per carry while scoring nine combined touchdowns in 12 games in 2020. Unfortunately, the punishing battering ram of a back has been nipped by the injury bug constantly and now, his career could be in jeopardy coming off cervical neck fusion surgery. The veteran remains hopeful he will be cleared to return to action and if he's able to suit up, the Seahawks will have a good problem on their hand with three starter-caliber backs on their roster. But he hasn't been cleared to this point, suggesting the end may be near for the former seventh-round pick.

On The Bubble: Josh Johnson

Former Miami standouts DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer shouldn't have to worry too much about job security due to their third down talents and special teams capabilities. But if there's a player who could push them for a roster spot at the back of the depth chart, it's Johnson, who dressed for a trio of games and played 38 snaps on special teams as an undrafted rookie last year. A physical runner at 209 pounds, he has a low center of gravity and can be difficult to bring down between the tackles. In addition, he flashed quality hands out of the backfield and overlooked blitz pickup skills in training camp and the preseason last summer. Right now, he's on the outside looking in due to the talent in front of him, but with a strong August, he could play put pressure on Dallas or Homer.

Seahawks Post-Offseason Depth Chart Reviews

Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Receivers | Tight Ends | Tackles | Guards | Centers

EDGE/Outside Linebackers | Defensive Tackles | Linebackers | Cornerbacks | Safeties