The Seattle Seahawks could have some competition at the top of their running back depth chart, with Zach Charbonnet expected to make a strong push to take the No. 1 spot from oft-injured Kenneth Walker III.
But the bottom of the depth chart should have some drama as well, with an undrafted rookie making a late push to make the final roster. The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar predicted that Anthony Tyus III will ultimately fall on the wrong side of the roster bubble, but not before making a strong case.
Anthony Tyus III Had Breakout in Final College Season
The Seahawks picked up Tyus late in the summer after he was released by the Detroit Lions. The undrafted rookie running back is coming off a breakout season at Ohio, where he rushed for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns while catching 16 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns.
Tyus spent the first three seasons of his college career at Northwestern, where he saw little usage and amassed just 504 rushing yards and 81 receiving yards in three years.
Matthew Ehler of MLive.com called Tyus a “6-foot-1, 226-pound bruising and powerful ball carrier,” noting that he had a knack for big performances in his final year of college.
“In fact, Tyus III rushed for over 100 yards in each of the Bobcats’ last four games, carrying the rock 27 times for 151 yards and a score in their 38-3 MAC title game rout over Miami (OH) and racking up 26 totes for 104 yards in their 30-27 Cure Bowl game victory over Jacksonville State,” Ehler wrote.
Rookie RB Has Work to Do
Dugar predicted that the Seahawks would keep five running backs, with Damien Martinez and George Holani coming in behind Walker and Charbonnett and Robbie Ouzts earning a spot as a fullback.
Dugar noted that Marzinez, a seventh-round draft pick this year, struggled a bit in the team’s first preseason game.
“Martinez wasn’t as effective running the ball in his NFL debut,” he wrote. “The seventh-round rookie out of Miami gained just 10 yards on six carries and didn’t produce a first down. His first kickoff return gained just 20 yards, and his second gained only 5 yards because he muffed the catch on a line-drive kick. As a receiver, Martinez caught an 8-yard swing pass from Lock and forced a missed tackle. He was also the recipient of a 7-yard screen pass on third-and-16.”
But Dugar added that Martinez was outplayed by Wright but “deserves another shot” due in part to the draft pick the team invested in him.
That leaves Tyus behind several other players on the depth chart and less time to make up for it. The Seahawks only signed him on August 5, meaning he missed the majority of training camp and has little time left to make an impression on coaches.
The undrafted rookie could aim for a spot on the depth chart, but he may need to showcase some versatility to do so. Tyus could add some value to the team by showing his worth on special teams, but has only two preseason games left to do it.
