Price hasn't been a bellcow in college, but he might have to be in the early stages of 2026.
The Seattle Seahawks knew they had to address the running back position this offseason as Kenneth Walker moved on in free agency.
And they did so in the draft, with Notre Dame star Jadarian Price being selected in the first-round.
With Emanuel Wilson being signed in free agency, to go along with George Holani and Kenny McIntosh as the running backs for Brian Fleury, all three are backups.
This leaves Price, who many scouts believe is starting-caliber, to be just that as Zach Charbonnet recovers from his ACL injury.
It is expected that Charbonnet will be back at some point midway through the season, but that is a pure guess, as we know recovery is different for each player.
Which brings us to Price.
You can make the case that he will be the starter in Week 1 against the New England Patriots, and likely until Charbonnet returns.
But given his role in college, serving as backup to No. 3 pick Jeremiyah Love, he has never been "the" guy for the offense. He had 120 and then 113 carries in his last two college seasons, and you can bet your house, he'll have a lot more than that in 2026.
The big question is will he be able to handle an increased workload?
Now, the Seahawks averaged 124.4 rushing yards per game (ranked 10th), and without Walker, it is fair to assume that those numbers could dip a little in 2026.
But Fleury comes from the San Francisco 49ers, and as we know, Kyle Shanahan places a big emphasis on the run game and the running backs being used as receivers.
Price has experience with both, but not at the level that will likely be required to begin his NFL career.
Draft experts see him as a starter, but how much will be put on his plate by Fleury is unknown, as he will have Wilson and Holani to call on to help relieve Price as he navigates life as an NFL player for the first time.
Will Price be able to handle starting duties straight out of the gate?
We're about to find out.
