Getty The Seattle Seahawks could be getting Geno Smith another playmaker.
Much has been made about the Seattle Seahawks drafting a quarterback, but the franchise is also a sleeper team to snag one of the top running backs. CBS Sports’ Will Brinson has the Seahawks taking former Texas star playmaker Bijan Robinson at No. 20, something the analyst labels as “kind of an outrageous pick” given the team used a high second-round selection on Ken Walker in 2022.
“Kind of an outrageous pick and yet completely on brand for Pete Carroll and Seattle,” Brinson noted on March 29, 2023. “Rashaad Penny is out the door and Seattle’s offense sorely missed Kenneth Walker when he was injured last year. Why not double down, add Bijan to the backfield and start cooking with gas in a defense/run/Geno system?”
Robinson is the consensus top running back in the upcoming draft, and there is no guarantee the star will be available when Seattle is on the clock at No. 20. The Seahawks have Walker, but Rashaad Penny along with Travis Homer departed in free agency.
With how much head coach Pete Carroll wants to rely on the rushing attack, it would not be a surprise if Seattle uses another high draft pick on a running back. If Robinson is still on the board at No. 20, the Seahawks cannot be ruled out as a potential landing spot for the star.
Seahawks GM John Schneider on Running Backs: ‘I Don’t Think You Can Just Rely on One Guy’
Seahawks general manager John Schneider admitted that the team needs to have more than just Walker to be able to operate the offense the team wants to run. Schneider noted the team has to have a “whole slew” of running backs rather than just one feature rusher.
“Yeah, I’m not sure you can have one guy do it the whole time,” Schneider explained during his NFL Combine press conference on March 1. “I think you need a whole slew of ’em. Especially if you’re a team like us that’s committed to running the football.
“I don’t think you can just rely on one guy. The beating these guys take. Everything they put their bodies through. Ken’s an amazing worker, a grown man and the guy takes great care of himself, but it doesn’t matter. You guys have seen the statistics. It’s a hard position to play.”
Bijan Robinson Is a Top-5 Talent, Says Draft Analyst
With four picks inside the first two rounds, Seattle can afford to take Robinson if the team has the prospect as the best available player. Robinson and Walker would immediately give the Seahawks one of the best backfield duos in the NFL.
The former Longhorns star had 258 carries for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging 6.1 yards per carry in 2022, all career highs for the running back. Robinson added 19 receptions for 314 yards and 2 TD catches in 12 appearances last season. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler detailed why Robinson is worthy of a first-round pick despite the overall declining value of NFL running backs.
“Bijan is one of the best talents in this class,” Brugler said on March 29. “… [Robinson is] a player that talent-wise belongs in the top five to seven picks of this draft. You’re getting a guy that the tape is awesome, the person is awesome.
“That’s something that just talking with scouts, they always bring up with Bijan Robinson. It’s not just how special of a player he is, it’s how special of a dude he is. He’s a guy that gets it. He’s very polished, his character is good, he’s great for your locker room.”