Seahawks player in danger of losing starting job to rookie after 2026 NFL Draft

The NFC West had a chaotic 2026 NFL Draft, to say the least. Almost all of the teams in the division were criticized in some way, shape, or form due to their selections in the draft. However, there was one team that wasn’t criticized as heavily as their rivals: the Seattle Seahawks.

While the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and the Arizona Cardinals descended into chaos during the draft, the Seahawks made simple moves during the draft. They picked up good, solid players at their positions of need and didn’t reach too hard or took any risks with their picks. It’s a solid game plan from the defending champions as they look to win another Super Bowl in 2026.

In total, the Seahawks only drafted four players from this year’s selection. That being said, there’s one player on the team who has a very real chance of taking the starting job of an incumbent player in 2026. Let’s analyze this.

Seahawks’ player in danger of losing starting job to a rookie

The Seahawks only took four players from this year’s draft. They drafted Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price at the tail-end of the first round, snagged safety Bud Clark from TCU in Round 2, cornerback Julian Neal from Arkansas in Round 3, and Kansas wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. in the sixth. It’s a surprisingly thin draft class from the defending Super Bowl champions.

As for the incumbent roster, most of the players from last year’s Super Bowl are still on the team. There are some notable departures, of course: Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, pass rusher Boye Mafe, and cornerback Tariq Woolen are among the many players who left the team this offseason. For the most part, though, the Seahawks’ defense remains intact. Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmonwori are still on the team, and the replacements for Woolen and safety Coby Bryant have been good.

On the offensive side of the ball, Emmanuel Henderson Jr will not have many opportunities to crack the roster, barring injuries. The Seahawks re-signed speedster Rashid Shaheed and still keep versatile slot receiver Jake Bobo on the team. That leaves the running back position, which is much thinner after the departure of Walker.

The player who’s expected to take over the starting RB role for the Seahawks is Zach Charbonnet. Charbonnet excelled last season playing alongside Walker, notching 730 rushing yards and being the primary option in the red zone. He had 12 rushing touchdowns last season, being one of the staples of one of the most efficient offenses in the league. An ACL tear prematurely ended his first playoff run, but Charbonnet was primed to be an elite weapon in the playoffs.

That aforementioned ACL tear might be the reason why the Seahawks running back loses his starting job in 2026. The Seahawks drafted Price, not necessarily to take the starting role from Charbonnet. Given the way that the team has run its offense, it’s more likely that Charbonnet and Price will coexist in a two-RB system. However, Charbonnet is still recovering from the surgery due to his injury. He will likely miss some time in training camp.

That will give an opportunity for Price to potentially steal the starting running back role in the offseason. Like Charbonnet, Price mostly excelled last season as the backup to Jeremiyah Love, the third overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Still, there was a lot to like about Price’s game that made him worth picking up at #32, despite the limited production profile he had last year. If Charbonnet starts off slow from his injury, expect Price to swoop in and steal the starting job from the veteran.

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