Seahawks Get B- Grade for Running Back Pick in NFL Draft

The 2026 NFL draft is winding down, and the event is in its final day on Saturday, April 25.

Now, the dust is starting to settle from the various picks that were made, especially the important first-round selections.

The Seattle Seahawks had to wait until pick No. 32 to select their first player, since they were Super Bowl champions. Now, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today has released his grades for the first-round picks in the 2026 NFL draft.

“The action in Pittsburgh got off to a predictable start with Fernando Mendoza’s coronation as the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders,” he states in the tally. “It didn’t take much longer, however, for the prevailing pre-draft wisdom to fall apart.”

The Hawks used that pick to take running back Jadarian Price of Notre Dame, and Middlehurst-Schwartz gives it a B- grade.

“He won’t be known primarily as Jeremiyah Love’s backup for much longer,” he states in the piece. “The defending champions just made Price an essential part of their backfield after Kenneth Walker III’s departure.”

More sports news: 2026 NFL Draft: Wrapping Up the First Round's Biggest Winner and Losers

He adds, “It’s fair to question the positional value here, especially for a back who’s an unproven commodity in the passing game. But Seattle had few options to find someone who could at least share the load with Zach Charbonnet, and the defending champs are in a better position than most teams to make this kind of move.”

Our Thoughts on Jadarian Price to the Seahawks

It would have been difficult to draft a real Walker replacement at No. 32, and the Seahawks would have had to trade up for it. Doing that would have been a gamble, so I actually like the Price pick.

More sports news: Winners and Losers From Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft

He’s a promising young talent who, with the right training, could step into a WR1 role with the Seahawks. He may not hit the ground running, but rookie development takes time, and luckily for him, the Seahawks have a staff that can build him.

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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 1:11 PM.