Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: RB Zach Charbonnet - Feature Back?

After averaging seven yards per carry in his final season at UCLA, the Seattle Seahawks expect Zach Charbonnet to add extra juice to their run game alongside Kenneth Walker III while also offering upside as a receiver.

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jul 11, 2023 1:20 PM EDT

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason activities in the rearview mirror, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC later this month, officially ushering in the 2023 season.

To celebrate the new incoming season, we'll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2023 campaign.

Zach Charbonnet, Running Back

Height/Weight: 6-1, 220 pounds

2022 Stats*: 1,359 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns, 37 receptions

*College stats at UCLA

Finishing his illustrious prep career at Oaks Christian School in California with nearly 5,000 rushing yards and 62 total touchdowns, Charbonnet participated in the Under Armour All-American game and committed to Michigan as a four-star recruit. Immediately receiving offensive snaps as a true freshman, he started seven out of 13 games played in 2019, racking up 725 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. During a COVID-shortened 2020 season for the Wolverines, he only rushed for 124 yards and a score in five games and opted to transfer to UCLA, returning to his home state.

Thriving in coach Chip Kelly's offense, Charbonnet emerged as one of the country's most dynamic runners with the Bruins, amassing 2,496 yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground in two seasons with the program. He also exhibited substantial improvement as an all-around back, snagging 61 catches for 518 yards and demonstrating proficiency in pass protection. Viewed as one of the top ball carriers in his draft class, the Seahawks invested the second of two second-round picks on him in April, pairing him with Offensive Rookie of the Year runner up Ken Walker III.

Best-Case Scenario: Bouncing off of tacklers and plowing his way forward through defenders on a regular basis while adding soft hands out of the backfield, Charbonnet looks like the second coming of Marshawn Lynch during the preseason and first few games of the regular season, gradually cutting into Walker's workload before taking over as the starter in the final two months of the season.

Worst-Case Scenario: While Charbonnet finds his niche as a short-yardage specialty back and scores half a dozen touchdowns checking into the lineup as a red zone weapon, Walker remains the workhorse receiving more than 60 percent of Seattle's offensive snaps, relegating the former UCLA star to special teams duty and limiting his production to under 400 rushing yards as a rookie.

What to Expect in 2023: Only one year after using a high pick on Walker, many experts and fans were perplexed by Seattle's decision to use another second round selection on Charbonnet with other pressing needs on the roster. But from a talent standpoint, the bruising back checks off all the boxes the team looks for from a feature back and given the high injury rate at the position, it made a great deal of sense to add another dynamic talent to pair with Walker.

While it may be way too early to draw parallels to coach Pete Carroll's tandem of Reggie Bush and LenDale White at USC years ago, Charbonnet could become Seattle's version of White as a 220-pound thumper whose thunder perfectly complements the explosive Walker's lightning. Further bolstering his value, after posting excellent numbers as a receiver in his two seasons at Westwood, Charbonnet could be in the mix for third down duties against returning veteran DeeJay Dallas and fellow rookie Kenny McIntosh, opening the door for more snaps in a secondary role to make the type of immediate impact expected from an early round pick.

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