Three seasons into his NFL career, Kenneth Walker III has had a respectable career with the Seattle Seahawks. But after striking fear into the hearts of Big Ten defenses while leading MSU to an 11-win season in 2021, “respectable” indicates his NFL career has fallen short of the lofty expectations thus far.
Walker III was a force during his lone season in East Lansing. He was a unanimous All-American, Walter Camp Player of the Year winner, and Heisman Trophy finalist who finished sixth in voting. The game-breaking speed, the explosiveness, the ability to thrive through contact, it all screamed NFL star in the making.
When he was drafted by the Seahawks in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, fans celebrated the arrival of a franchise runner who could ascend to stardom like Seahawks greats Marshawn Lynch and Shaun Alexander.
He ran for over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie, showing little indication of slowing down after his 18-touchdown campaign in Spartan green. However, Walker’s 2024 campaign told a different story. Hampered by a series of injuries, including ankle, calf, and oblique issues, led to 542 rushing yards on just 3.7 yards per carry, both career-lows for the Tennessean.
Headed into a contract year, Walker III has even emerged as a popular trade chip due to overcrowding in the Seahawks’ backfield. Following a breakout season from Zach Charbonnet in his absence and the selection of Damien Martinez in the 2025 NFL Draft, his future in Seattle has come into question.
But all hope is not yet lost for the 24-year-old.
Walker III was a poor schematic fit for ex-offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, as he preferred to employ an Air Raid system. While Walker did record a career-high in receptions, he was often miscast in Grubb’s system due to his defects as a pass protector.
But the most significant development of the offseason was the firing of Grubb and the arrival of new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. The son of Super Bowl-winning head coach Gary Kubiak, Klint stems from the Shanahan coaching tree, a scheme known for zone-heavy schemes and play-action-heavy offenses.
This is the same scheme where Christian McCaffrey eclipsed 2,000 scrimmage yards in 2023. It’s a system tailor-made for backs like Walker, decisive runners with elite acceleration and one-cut explosiveness.
The Seahawks also moved on from Geno Smith and Sam Darnold is the new sheriff in town. Darnold relied heavily upon a strong run game to boast career-best numbers in Minnesota, which should also be the case in a similar system in Seattle. Additionally, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are gone, signaling Seattle’s intention to shift towards a ground-and-pound system under Kubiak.
This transition has been bolstered by the team’s first round selection of North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel, who has the power and versatility to immediately anchor for one of the league’s weakest offensive lines from 2024.
With a scheme catered to his strengths, a quarterback who relies upon the run game, and fresh talent up front, all of the pieces are in place for Walker III to enjoy a long-overdue breakout season.