Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) stretches during a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, August 21, 2025, at Clarke Hinkle Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

ESPN picks Kenneth Walker III as Seahawks' x-factor for 2025 NFL season

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Tim Weaver | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 12:00 PM ET

There's righfully a lot of hype for the Seattle Seahawks' defense heading into the 2025 NFL season. The last time Mike Macdonald was in his second year calling plays for a defense he turned a good Baltimore Ravens unit into the most-dominant defense in the NFL by a wife margin.

While it would come as a big surprise if Seattle's defense is anything but elite, we really don't know what to expect from the Seahawks' offense, and neither does anyone else who's being honest. While the starters looked dominant during the preseason, that's never been a reliable indication of what a team can do once the real games begin.

One of many key factors for Seattle's offense will be starting running back Kenneth Walker III, who's managed to fly under the radar as the team totally remodeled practically every other part of their offense this offseason. However, ESPN has picked Walker as the Seahawks' x-factor this year.

ESPN on Kenneth Walker III

"Without question, Walker has the talent on the ground and through the air to benefit from Kubiak's offense. But Walker hasn't had a 1,000-yard season since his rookie year, as inconsistent vision and nagging injuries have limited his down-to-down success... Seattle figures to be a defense-driven team either way, but that formula works way better if you trust your back to salt away close games and tight leads. Walker still needs to earn that trust."

It's fair to call Walker's vision inconsistent, but far too much is being made of Walker's injury history, with many analysts acting like he's coming off his second career ACL tear. The truth is Walker has only suffered a variety of minor injuries - nothing major, nothing career-threatening and definitely nothing that should stop him from finally reaching the incredibly-high ceiling that is his full potential.

Whether Walker actually reaches those lofty heights is an open question. Minor injuries or not, he will have to stay healthy to hold off Zach Charbonnet and the rest of the Seahawks backfield, which didn't appear to need him at all during the preseason.

Additionally, Seattle's starting offensive line will have to continue blocking like they did in those first two games - and Walker will actually have to play more disciplined and follow his leads - assuming they won't be able to open the kind of gaping holes they did playing against backups during the preseason. Perhaps most importantly, the Seahawks coaching staff can't embrace a running-back-by-committee approach.

That's a lot of ifs, but if they all work out then Walker should have a real chance to win the Offensive Player of the Year award.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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