Seahawks Final Report Card: Running Backs Make Most of Difficult Circumstances
Despite finishing with a winning record for a second straight season, the Seattle Seahawks weren't fortunate enough to earn a playoff spot in 2023, bringing a disappointing season to a close earlier than expected.
Armed with a fun young stable of backs led by second-round picks Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, Seattle received quality individual contributions from the dynamic pair. Unfortunately, injuries and inconsistent play from the offensive line in the trenches put a cap on the team's production in the run game, as they finished 28th in rushing yards and 31st in rushing attempts.
Continuing my annual post-season report card series, I hand out my year-end grades with areas of strength and areas of improvement while taking a look into the crystal ball to see what's next for the Seahawks in the backfield.
*All stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.
Ken Walker III
Overall Grade: 85.5
Areas of Strength: Though he didn't produce as many yards after contact as he did during a sensational rookie season, Walker continued to make defenders look silly in open field with elite elusiveness and underrated contact balance. Finishing tied for fifth among running backs according to Pro Football Focus data, he forced 56 missed tackles while averaging just under three yards per carry after contact. He also picked up where he left off as a home run hitter, finishing with 24 runs of 10 or more yards and a 28 percent breakaway percentage, which ranked 11th among qualified backs.
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Making considerable strides from his rookie season as a receiver, Walker reeled in 29 out of 33 targets for 259 yards and a touchdown. Mostly catching the ball out of the backfield, he racked up 11.1 yards after the catch per reception, the fourth-best total among qualified backs, while forcing 19 missed tackles and only dropping two passes thrown his direction.
Areas of Improvement: Though he improved in comparison to his rookie season, Walker still has plenty of room to grow when it comes to not trying to do too much and bouncing runs outside too often. This contributed to 24 rushes netting negative yardage this season, the 12th-most in the NFL. Pass protection also remains a problematic aspect of his game and the Seahawks didn't use him much in that capacity with only 44 pass protection reps all season.
Zach Charbonnet
Overall Grade: 80.0
Areas of Strength: Living up to the billing as a bruising complement to Walker, Charbonnet gradually improved as his rookie season unfolded, though his statistics didn't always reflect that in a secondary role behind a suspect line. Averaging a healthy 4.3 yards per carry, he finished 24th out of 63 qualified backs with 2.96 yards per carry after contact while forcing 17 missed tackles. Interestingly, despite having over 100 fewer touches in the run game than Walker, he ripped off 17 runs of 10 or more yards, nearly equaling his teammate on far fewer opportunities and showcasing underrated explosiveness in open field.
While he wasn't perfect in pass protection and made expected rookie mistakes, Charbonnet posted decent numbers picking up blitzes and free rushers when asked to do so. On 59 charted pass protection reps, he allowed five pressures and one sack, giving him an edge as the third down back for 2024.
Areas of Improvement: Known for his soft hands coming out of UCLA, Charbonnet caught 33 passes on 40 targets, but those receptions turned into just 209 yards and barely over six yards per reception. Some of that boiled down to poor circumstances catching the ball on check downs, but he dropped two passes and only forced five missed tackles, lacking the suddenness and elusiveness after the catch demonstrated as a runner out of the backfield.
DeeJay Dallas
Overall Grade: 73.0
Areas of Strength: Stuck behind Walker and Charbonnet on the depth chart, Dallas only received 10 carries the entire season, but he received All-Pro votes as a return specialist and for good reason. Packing some punch on special teams, he finished seventh in the NFL in yards per kick return and ninth in yards per punt return while tacking on five tackles for good measure.
Areas of Improvement: Unfortunately, for as well as he performed as a return man during the 2023 season, Dallas did have a costly fumble in a Week 12 loss to the 49ers. He also averaged just 3.6 yards per carry, caught a career-low six passes for just 26 yards, and allowed three pressures on just 21 pass blocking reps in a limited offensive role.
What's Next?
For the most part, the Seahawks will enter the offseason with few questions at running back, as Walker and Charbonnet each have at least two more seasons remaining on their respective rookie deals and Kenny McIntosh will have a chance at a fresh start after missing most of his rookie season due to a knee injury. Those three players should form one of the deepest backfield stables in the conference if the group can stay healthy.
Depending on cost, Dallas could be re-signed on a one-year deal due to his special teams talent and pass-catching ability. He's been the consummate team player since being drafted out of Miami and provides far more value than his stat line may suggest. But after allowing former teammate Travis Homer to leave for Chicago last season, Seattle likely will have far bigger priorities in free agency, especially with a new head coach set to take over for Pete Carroll.
Ultimately, this unit shouldn't look much different in August with Walker, Charbonnet, and McIntosh all under contract. Given the injury rates at the position, however, if Dallas isn't brought back on a cheap deal, it wouldn't be a surprise at all if the Seahawks invest a late round pick in another back for depth and development purposes, particularly for a player offering kick and punt return value.
Previous Seahawks Report Cards: Quarterback, Defensive Tackle
