Where Does Kenneth Walker Rank Among NFL Running Backs?

The biggest free agent addition of the Kansas City Chiefs' offseason came with the acquisition of former Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III. After suffering through a number of issues with their running game last season, the Chiefs made an aggressive move for Walker, who was widely regarded as the best available running back on the market.

But where does Walker fit among all NFL running backs ahead of the 2026 season?

In an ongoing exercise, ESPN surveyed a variety of NFL coaches, scouts and executives to determine the best backs in the game today. After the votes were tabulated, Walker landed at No. 9.

"He reminds me a lot of a mix between peak Kareem Hunt and Maurice Jones-Drew," an AFC executive told ESPN. "Dense lower body, fast enough, tough to bring down. Not sure how his game will age yet, but he should be good this year."

Walker's highest ranking saw at least one ballot place him at No. 6, while some left him out of the top 10 entirely. Jeremy Fowler explained more of the process that landed Walker at No. 9.

"Walker appeared on nearly 60% of the ballots, with voters noting his combination of open-field vision and physicality elevating him," Fowler wrote. "Walker has averaged a modest 15.2 carries per game for his career, a total that could increase in Kansas City."

Is No. 9 a fair ranking for Kenneth Walker?

Even if you are extremely bullish on Walker's skillset and his fit with the Chiefs, it's hard to take much issue with his ranking.

Walker landed behind Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, James Cook III and De'Von Achane.

An argument could be made that the 32-year-old Henry is nearing a potential drop-off, but Henry is one of very few veteran running backs who deserve the benefit of the doubt even after a full decade in the league.

Breece Hall, a rumored target of the Chiefs around last year's trade deadline, ranked at No. 10, while Josh Jacobs, Kyren Williams and Quinshon Judkins were listed as honorable mentions.

Walker ranked No. 5 on our Chiefs On SI list of the top 25 Chiefs for the 2026 season, and the team certainly expects Walker to perform at a high level as one of the new focal points of a Kansas City offense that sputtered last season.