Explosive, Physical Kenneth Walker III Ready to Run the Rock For Seahawks

RENTON, WA - Watching the 2022 NFL Draft in the company of his family back in Tennessee, Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III waited patiently as he does awaiting a crease to open up in front of him on the gridiron. Soon, he would hear his name called and find out where he would continue his football career.

Midway through the second round, Walker finally received the call he had been waiting for, but a zip code popped up on his phone screen that he wasn't necessarily anticipating. On the other end of the line, general manager John Schneider broke the news the Seahawks were turning his name in for the 41st overall selection to add him to their backfield stable.

"I love watching you run the rock, bud," Schneider told Walker, who seemed a bit shell-shocked by the call. "I can't wait to watch you run it up here in Seattle. We're going to select you right now. Get fired up brother, let's go!"

If Walker sounded tongue-tied, it's likely because the reigning Doak Walker Award winner - which is given to college football's best running back each year - didn't have the Seahawks on his radar as an interested suitor. While he spoke with them at the combine and over a Zoom call early in the pre-draft process, he hadn't heard from the team since and after they re-signed Rashaad Penny, it didn't look like a potential landing spot for an early-round ball carrier.

However, with veteran runner Chris Carson recovering from neck surgery and his status remaining unclear, Seattle had a bigger need at running back than expected. With an electric playmaker of Walker's talent still available, Schneider and coach Pete Carroll couldn't pass up on the opportunity to grab him.

“I am very surprised," Walker told reporters moments after being selected via conference call. "At the end of the day, it’s a blessing to be on this team. I’m grateful for them giving me that phone call and it means a lot.”

This time a year ago, Walker wasn't necessarily on the radar for NFL teams. In his two previous collegiate seasons, the former three-star recruit had been productive at Wake Forest in a rotational role, averaging 5.3 yards per carry and scoring 17 touchdowns on the ground. Frustrated by his lack of touches and desiring to be a feature back, he entered the transfer portal seeking a better opportunity to showcase his immense talents.

After considering several schools, Walker wound up settling on Michigan State in large part due to the presence of coach Mel Tucker and a pro-style offense better suited for his strengths. Capitalizing on his chance to be a workhorse ball carrier for the first time, he exploded for 1,636 yards and 18 touchdowns, earning unanimous First-Team All-American honors while guiding the Spartans to an 11-2 record, the third-best record in program history.

“When I was at Wake Forest, I felt like I wasn’t a great fit for that offense," Walker explained. "That’s when I ended up making my decision. Going to coach [Mel] Tucker, I had a great group of guys around me, my teammates and a great coaching staff. They put me in a pro-style offense that best suits my skills. I believe that’s what helped me have the season that I had and our team.”

While most of the NFL has embraced the pass-happy tendencies of the modern game, the Seahawks remain one of the few teams that still emphasizes establishing the run as part of a balanced offense. With quarterback Russell Wilson now in Denver and Drew Lock or Geno Smith likely to replace him under center, getting the rushing attack rolling will be imperative to offensive success moving forward.

Personnel wise, even with Penny coming off a sensational finish to the 2021 season, with the position being what Schneider called a "volatile" one with high injury rates, adding another dynamic back to the mix was a top priority for Seattle and Walker checked off every box.

“I believe I bring an explosive and physical running style to this offense. Great vision, in and out of my cuts. Also, I believe I can hit the home run and catch out of the backfield," Walker said, easily selling his game to reporters.

At the NFL combine in Indianapolis, Walker turned in a stellar workout, showing off his elite wheels running the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds and posting respectable 34-inch vertical jump and 122-inch broad jump scores. Like a stick of dynamite simply needing a spark to ignite any time he touches the ball, his speed and acceleration can be seen on film rocketing past defenders at the second level.

In addition to his straight line speed, Walker can be equally effective bowling through arm tackles and making defenders miss in space with devastating cuts. According to Sports Info Solutions, the compact 5-foot-9, 211-pound runner led FBS Division I with 1,001 yards after contact and forced 85 missed tackles, the third-most in the nation.

As a receiver, Walker only caught 13 passes for 89 yards and no touchdowns for the Spartans a year ago. But he didn't have any drops and his lack of targets was a by-product of the offensive scheme more than an indictment of his hands out of the backfield. At the next level, he could be a far bigger factor in the passing game.

When considering his speed, quickness, power, and underrated hands as a receiver, Walker presented the complete backfield package that Carroll and the Seahawks simply could not resist. Putting a cherry on top, his experience running the ball in an pro-style system with a variety of zone and gap concepts made him all the more attractive to a team that wants to get back to grounding and pounding opponents.

"It helps to see him run all of the variety of the plays. There is a lot of shotgun runs that is happening in college football, it’s pretty zone oriented and straight forward. They had an NFL style running game and they did a little bit of everything, so you are able to see him run zone schemes, run gap scheme principles, and he’s really effective in the counter game. It was a really good illustration of a guy being able to blossom with a variety of the run game, so it makes sense to us how he really could fit in.”

Aiming to get back to the bedrock of their philosophy and make sure "all of the elements" come together on offense, Carroll and Schneider made an emphatic statement about their intentions in the first two days of the draft. They invested two of their first four selections on a pair of athletic, high-upside tackles in Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas, who will each have an opportunity to win a starting job on day one.

That's an exciting development for all of the Seahawks' backs, including Walker, who should benefit from the franchise's commitment to re-building in the trenches throughout the four years of his rookie contract. No longer surprised to be coming to the Pacific Northwest and appreciative of the opportunity presented to him, he's looking forward to running behind his new teammates and helping the team get back to their winning ways.

“It’s going to help a lot. The game starts up front. I always say the linemen don’t get enough credit. That’s where the game starts and they’re the most important so to see that, it’s good and exciting.”