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Seattle Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III playing above pay grade?

Seattle Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III playing above pay grade?

Trying to find good players at a solid price can prove to be very difficult, but fortunately for the Seattle Seahawks, they have a player who definitely fits the bill, ironically at a position that has been more difficult to acquire a good player to come.

Third-year running back Kenneth Walker III, a 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist, has always played a big role in the offense when healthy during his time in Seattle. For a cap hit of just $2.3 million as a former second-round pick, according to Over The Cap, Walker is a fantastic value for Seattle. He still has his rookie contract until the 2025 season.

So good a score, in fact, that Walker landed on Pro Football Focus’ list of 10 players playing “above their pay grade” this season.

“Even as the Seahawks have come back down to earth over the past three weeks, Walker has remained a major bright spot,” PFF’s Bradley Locker wrote. “The former second-round pick leads the NFL with a 90.5 rushing grade and is averaging 3.04 yards per attempt after contact, compared to his 2.91 in that category a season ago.

“The entire running back position has been devalued immensely, but Walker is a player worth paying – and much better than a 32nd place finish in the AAV. He has never recorded a PFF rushing grade below 84.4 in a season, and he has also forced a combined 126 missed tackles over the last three years, good for fifth among defensive backs in that span.”

Walker missed two games earlier this season with an oblique injury after rushing for over 100 yards in the season opener against Denver, but returned with a bang in Week 4 with 116 total yards and three rushing touchdowns against the Detroit Lions. However, in the two games he managed only 51 yards and a touchdown while adding 94 yards as a receiver, he was hampered by poor offensive line play and Seattle’s general disinterest in the game of football at times.

Apparently, Walker’s fundamental value remains solid during the Seahawks’ difficult stretch, and as his team looks to overcome its current three-game losing streak, it should only be a matter of time before he scores another big one on a cheap rookie contract performance shows.