Even after a year in which Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry put together MVP-caliber seasons, it's no secret that running backs aren't valued as much as other positions in the NFL. The Seattle Seahawks have seen this firsthand with Kenneth Walker III.
After a promising rookie campaign, Walker's production has dipped in nearly every category over the last two seasons. In 2024, the former second-round pick out of Michigan State finished with career-lows in rushing yards (573) and yards per attempt (3.7) in 11 games for Seattle.
Fair or not, Walker's stock seems to be at an all-time low. A new trade proposal from Athlon Sports has the Seahawks sending Walker to the Denver Broncos for a measly fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
"Seattle gets an extended look at Charbonnet as the lead back, while the Broncos land an experience running back," wrote Matthew Sullivan of Athlon Sports. "Walker meanwhile moves to a team on the upswing, as the Seahawks are re-tooling their entire offense. Walker wouldn't be to expensive, and is the perfect rental for Denver."
While the move is proposed as "win-win-win" for all parties involved, Seahawks fans would likely disagree with that assessment. Walker is a 1,000-yard back coming off a season plagued by injuries.
Since he's still just 24 years old, it seems a bit premature to dump the former Spartans star for a fifth-round pick. The Seahawks used a second-round selection on Walker just three years ago and he lived up to that status during his first two NFL seasons.
Even if he's not the bell-cow some expected, Walker still has too much upside when healthy to simply give away. The Seahawks are in solid shape with the salary cap, therefore the upside of trading Walker would be minimal.
However, if the team takes a running back in the draft, all bets are off.
