Jadarian Price is the Seahawks’ first-round rookie running back – the No. 32 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame, drafted to eventually replace departed Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III. Born October 9, 2003, in Denison, Texas, the 22-year-old measured 5-foot-10⅝ and 203 pounds at the combine and ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash, backing up tape that made him one of the most explosive backs in the class.
His college resume is unusual: a torn Achilles wiped out his 2022 freshman season, he shared a backfield with fellow first-round talent Jeremiyah Love, and he still finished with 1,692 yards and 21 touchdowns on a 6.0-yard career average – adding All-America honors in 2025 as a kickoff returner with multiple 100-yard scores. As of publication he’s working back from leg soreness that cost him the preseason opener, with Macdonald describing him as “ramping back up.”
The chart below has the year-by-year numbers, the scouting report and exactly where he fits in Seattle’s backfield.
SEAHAWKS 2026
Who Is Jadarian Price?
The No. 32 pick, his path from Achilles tear to All-American, and his Seattle role
DRAFTED
No. 32
Round 1, 2026 – Notre Dame
SIZE / SPEED
5’10⅝, 203
4.49-second 40
CAREER YPC
6.0
280 carries, 21 TD
STATUS
Ramping up
Missed opener, leg soreness
Jadarian Price, year by year
From a torn Achilles to first-round pick
| Season |
What happened |
| 2022 (Notre Dame) |
Tore his Achilles in summer workouts and missed the entire season – the injury that delayed everything. Arrived from Denison (Texas) High as a four-star recruit with 4,990 prep rushing yards |
| 2023 |
Eased back behind Audric Estime with roughly 270 yards and 3 TD in a managed role – then broke out with 106 yards on 13 carries in the Sun Bowl, his first 100-yard game |
| 2024 |
Played all 16 games of Notre Dame’s CFP-runner-up season: 746 yards and 7 TD on a 6.2 average, including his first multi-TD game and a 100-yard outing at USC |
| 2025 |
His All-America year as a multi-purpose weapon: 674 yards and 11 TD on 113 carries (6.0 avg), plus 12 kickoff returns for 450 yards with multiple 100-yard return scores – All-America honors from AP, FWAA, Walter Camp, SI and USA Today |
| College totals |
41 games: 280 carries, 1,692 yards, 6.0 per carry, 21 rushing TD – plus roughly 15 catches and three return touchdowns, all while sharing a backfield with Jeremiyah Love |
Scouting report and Seahawks fit
Strengths, weaknesses and where he slots in Seattle
| Category |
The assessment |
| Strengths |
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein: “tempo-driven back with smooth hips, elite vision and a nose for the end zone” – highly instinctive, stacks moves, rare feel for the right path. Analytics agree: 4.13 yards after contact per attempt (2nd in this rookie class) and a top-3 forced-missed-tackle rate, per ESPN |
| Weaknesses |
Limited receiving production (about 15 career catches), average downhill burst for a one-cut runner, average finishing power, and a light 280-carry college workload – the pass-protection and third-down questions are what he must answer as a pro |
| Combine profile |
5’10⅝ and 203 pounds with a 4.49 forty, 35-inch vertical, 10’4″ broad jump and 21 bench reps – explosive testing that matched the return-game tape |
| Roster role |
Drafted with the champions’ pick (No. 32) to replace Kenneth Walker III, the departed Super Bowl LX MVP. He’s currently listed behind George Holani on the first unofficial depth chart while working back from leg soreness – a camp-attendance artifact more than a verdict |
| vs. Seattle’s other backs |
Price is the explosives-and-vision back; Holani is the between-the-tackles reliability option; Charbonnet (PUP, ACL) is the proven three-down veteran returning midseason; Velus Jones Jr. is a speed conversion project; Emanuel Wilson (injured) is the power short-yardage type |
PRICE FACTS
The champion’s pick
Pick No. 32 belongs to the Super Bowl winner – Seattle used its title reward on Price, making him the literal first prize of the championship.
Return-game bonus
Multiple 100-yard kickoff-return touchdowns in 2025 give Price a day-one special teams path to touches even while the backfield rotation sorts itself out.
Current status
Verified as of publication: Price missed the preseason opener with leg soreness, has been “ramping back up” in coach Mike Macdonald’s words, took joint-practice snaps this week, and could make his preseason debut against Tennessee.
Why Seattle Bet a First-Rounder on 280 Carries
The light workload is the feature, not the bug: Price enters the NFL with fresh legs, elite per-touch efficiency and second-in-class yards-after-contact numbers, and Seattle’s scouts saw a zone-scheme fit – vision, burst, balance – that its own draft analysts called “hand-in-glove.” The bet is that his ceiling was capped by Notre Dame’s timeshare, not his talent. The open questions – third-down trust and pass protection – are exactly what this month’s evaluations are for, which is why his ramp-up matters more than his current depth-chart line behind Holani, covered in full on our Seahawks RB depth chart breakdown.
The Bottom Line
Jadarian Price is a 22-year-old, 5-foot-11, 203-pound first-round pick with 6.0 career yards per carry, All-America return skills and a Zierlein scouting report built on vision and instincts – currently easing back from leg soreness while projected to grow into Seattle’s featured back role by the heart of the season. His development is the single biggest variable in how the champions manage this preseason.
