The running back position is among the positions at the forefront of what the Seattle Seahawks’ roster calls for this offseason.
The Seahawks are consistently projected to select a top running back prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. Precedent exists for Seattle to nurture a young prospect in their backfield following the departure of Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III in free agency.
Advertisement
According to ESPN’s Jordan Reid, Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. is a compatible prospect for the Seahawks to mull from the second round onward in 2026.
“At 6-foot-1, 223 pounds, Washington is a large running back who has ascended throughout the predraft process,” Reid said. “Like Walker, he can puncture defenses with a mixture of explosive and tough runs. Washington had 51 rushes of 10-plus yards in 2025.”
Washington Jr. turned 167 carries into 1,070 yards in 2025. Just a year prior, he rushed for 725 yards on 157 carries. Washington Jr.’s talent level appeared translatable to the NFL level last season.
Notre Dame RB Jadarian Price is a prospect that the Seahawks stand the chance to see on the board when they go up to select with the No. 32 overall pick in the first round of draft. However, Washington Jr. is a ball-carrier that has the potential to succeed, in Seattle specifically, in the event that the Seahawks elect not to take a running back the first time they select in the draft, but rather later on.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: 2026 NFL: the case for Mike Washington Jr to enter Seahawks’ backfield