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While the Seattle Seahawks entered the 2023 NFL Draft with just 52 players on the roster, the team was able to fill all 90 spots just before the start of their rookie minicamp after signing former Minnesota Vikings running back Bryant Koback on Wednesday, May 11, per ESPN‘s Brady Henderson.
Koback tore up the field during his four years at Toledo. In 44 games, he rushed for 4,026 yards while averaging 5.9 yards per carry, and scored 45 rushing touchdown. Koback also recorded 66 passes for 654 yards and another 7 touchdowns.
The 6-foot, 210-pound running back participated in the 2022 Hula Bowl, where he earned MVP honors after running the ball eight times for 130 yards and a touchdown, per the Orlando Sentinel.
While Koback went undrafted in 2022, he went on to sign with the Vikings, and spent the last season on the practice squad. While he appeared in all three preseason games, recording 21 carries for 67 yards and a score, along with four receptions for 21 yards, per SI, he has yet to make his NFL debut.
The Seahawks Drafted 2 Running Backs in the 2023 NFL Draft
In addition to having Kenneth Walker Jr., who led all rookies with 228 carries and 1,050 rushing yards last season, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll added two more running backs through the 2023 NFL Draft. After selecting UCLA standout Zach Charbonnet in the second round, the Seahawks took Georgia’s Kenny McIntosh in Round 7.
Before the NFL draft, the only other running back on the roster aside from Walker was Deejay Dallas, but it was still a surprise when Carroll selected McIntosh in the final round. Carroll explained the decision during an appearance on Seattle Sports Radio’s “Bump and Stacy” earlier this month.
“I have so much respect for that position and so much regard for what that weighs into our football team and how we play and the mentality and all of that,” Carroll said. “It’s a really important spot for me, too. We do a nice job… We’ve had some terrific guys over the years, and I think we just put this class back together in a really good spot for this position.”
As for Charbonnet, “He’s so versatile,” Carroll said of the 22-year-old rookie. “He just will fit in and be a great addition, and really, we’re gonna find out how far he can take it in terms of the receiving part of it. We know he’s really good at it. But so is Kenneth, so those guys will be battling. And we also went all the way down to get Kenny McIntosh because of his versatility. There’s so many positives about these guys.”
The Seahawks Also Signed 2 UDFA Running Backs
The Seahawks are making sure they have their run game covered this year and Koback will face heavy competition to earn a spot with the Seahawks. Following the conclusion of the 2023 NFL Draft, Seattle added Louisiana running back Chris Smith, and Incarnate Word’s Marcus Cooper, per The Athletic‘s Michael-Shawn Dugar.
“Smith and Cooper are similar backs (Smith played better competition) who could make some noise in training camp if they’re able to pop a few big runs and separate from defenders at the next level,” Dugar wrote. “Either one could reasonably expect to make the team.”
“Smith was RB36 in Dane Brugler’s 2023 NFL Draft guide. He’s 5-8 and 194 pounds. He ran 4.46 in the 40-yard dash with a 1.4 10-yard split. Smith isn’t very big, but he can fly. Last season, Smith only rushed for 628 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 4.9 yards per carry, but he averaged 22.2 yards per kick return and has two career touchdown returns to his name. Smith projects as a third-down back who can catch passes and whizz by defenders in space. There’s a space for that skill set on the roster, even if McIntosh has similar traits.”
As for Cooper, who’s 5-foot-7 and 181 pounds, he was ranked as Brugler’s No. 98 running back. While he has “less burst” than Smith, “he has similar straightaway speed (4.46),” Dugar noted. “The speed is what stands out because at Incarnate Word, when Cooper hit the second level, he was gone. Last season he rushed for 1,436 yards and 12 scores on 6.7 yards per attempt and had multiple plays of at least 60 yards.”
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