Sep 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) breaks a tackle attempt by Miami Dolphins linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (6) to rush for a touchdown during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field. Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Proposed change for Seahawks at RB ranked among top-5 potential backfield shakeups

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Tim Weaver | Last updated May 21, 2025 11:33 AM ET

From where we're sitting Kenneth Walker III still looks like the most-gifted running back on the Seattle Seahawks' roster. In fact, if he actually had a decent offensive line to run behind he might be considered one of the top-five backs in the game today.

However, a lot of people disagree with that take - and they see Seattle's primary backup Zach Charbonnet as a better option than Walker, especially as a fit for new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's scheme. If Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is one of them, we might end up seeing a pretty big shakeup at running back at some point this coming season.

According to Jake Ciely at The Athletic, Charbonnet replacing Walker is the fourth-biggeest potential RB change in the NFL this year.

"Kenneth Walker III's injuries and 2024 play opened the door for Charbonnet to take the lead. This backfield ultimately favoring Charbonnet is quite possible, especially with Klint Kubiak now the offensive coordinator. Nevertheless, Walker has been the lead while healthy, so there is a decent chance he's the more valuable Seahawks back."

Charbonnet has his charms, but on tape it's difficult to deny that Walker is far more athletic and elusive - and is capable of much more dynamic plays. Whether or not the offensive line allows him to live up to his full potential is another question, but Walker appears to have a much higher ceiling than Charbonnet.

Walker's injury history is also being overblown. Since he was drafted Walker has had to sit out a total of 10 games out of 51. While that's not ideal, the good news is that none of those injuries could be considered really major issues. At the very least, he hasn't suffered a torn ACL or a broken bone that could significantly impact his performance going forward.

All that being said, there are some areas where Charbonnet has the edge, beginning with superior size and power.

The x-factor that could decide this is their perceived value on third down. Last year Walker and Charbonnet got basically the same number of targets (53 and 52 respectively), but Charbonnet was more productive, totaling 41 more yards on his opportunities.

Charbonnet also has the edge as a pass protector. Last season he put in 100 snaps pass blocking, earning a solid 74.2 grade from PFF for those reps. Meanwhile, Walker had 44 pass blocking snaps and earned an awful 29.7 in this department.

To be continued...

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

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