Jadarian Price landed in an ideal situation with Seattle and ESPN already projects him among the NFL’s top rookie producers.
The Seattle Seahawks entered the 2026 NFL Draft with an obvious need at running back after Kenneth Walker III departed for Kansas City in free agency and Zach Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL in January.
Seattle addressed the position with Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price at pick No. 32, and less than a month later, ESPN’s Mike Clay is already projecting him to become one of the league’s most productive rookies.
According to Clay’s projections, Price is expected to tie Arizona rookie Jeremiyah Love for the most scrimmage touchdowns among all 2026 rookies with nine while finishing second in rushing yards at 915. Love, selected third overall, is projected to lead the class with 1,129 rushing yards.
Price and Love were teammates at Notre Dame, where they formed one of college football’s most dangerous backfields last season before both entered the NFL Draft. Now they project as immediate impact players on opposite sides of the NFC West.
The draft capital difference between Love and Price is significant. Love went third overall while Price lasted until pick No. 32. The projected production gap, however, is much smaller.
Clay’s analysis highlighted Price’s direct path to a featured role in a run heavy offense with Charbonnet expected to miss significant time recovering from injury. Historically, first round running backs selected in the second half of Round 1 have often produced immediately when given volume opportunities.
Since 2012, five of the eight running backs drafted in the latter half of the first round reached at least 800 rushing yards as rookies despite several missing games due to injuries. The only players who failed to reach that mark were stuck in backup or limited rotational roles.
The broader context of this draft class also matters. Love and Price were the only running backs selected within the first two rounds and few other rookies around the league currently project to handle major workloads immediately.
That combination of draft investment, opportunity and scheme fit gives Price a unique advantage entering training camp.
Seattle’s offense under Mike Macdonald is expected to emphasize physicality and balance, creating an environment where a downhill runner like Price could thrive quickly. With an open backfield and minimal competition for touches early in the season, the rookie enters one of the league’s most favorable situations for immediate production.
