If you were a first-round pick in 2021 and the team picked up your firth-year option, this is the final season of your initial NFL contract (unless, you have already signed an extension similar to Bengals’ wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase this month). If you were selected in Rounds 2-7 in 2022, you are also in the final year of your rookie deal.
With the NFL draft exactly four weeks away, organizations are busy preparing for the three-day event, which is taking place this year at storied Lambeau Field. They are also looking towards the future, with an eye on retaining their better players, and keeping off the free-agent market down the road.
Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus recently put together a list of 20 players in the league that could warrant contract extensions. He cited Seattle Seahawks’ running back Kenneth Walker III as a worthy candidate.
“Seattle already determined that it didn’t want to extend Geno Smith or D.K. Metcalf, which leaves Walker as a natural next man up for that designation. His 91.2 PFF rushing grade in 2024 ranked sixth among all rushers. Still only 24, Walker isn’t known for being a home-run hitter but has gained countless yards above expectation behind an offensive line that ranks 23rd in PFF run-blocking grade since 2022. He should reach at least $10 million per year.”
Walker was a second-round pick in 2022 by the Seahawks. After two seasons at Wake Forest (2019-20), he took the field for Michigan State in 2021. He totaled 263 carries for 1,636 yards and 18 touchdowns in a dozen games with the Spartans. In his rookie season in Seattle, Walker ran for 1,050 yards and nine scores on 228 attempts.
It’s worth noting that the three-year pro is coming off a season in which he missed six games, and ran for a career-low 573 yards. He still managed to gain 872 yards from scrimmage and reached the end zone eight times. Walker has played in 41 regular-season contests, and scored 26 total touchdowns.
