BROCK AND SALK

Huard on Seahawks Draft: RB the most intriguing position group

Feb 15, 2023, 10:33 AM
Seahawks draft Zach Charbonnet...
UCLA's Zach Charbonnet runs the ball during against Utah at the Rose Bowl on Oct. 8, 2022. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
(Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

We’re just over two months away from the 2023 NFL Draft and there are plenty of exciting prospects for the Seahawks and the rest of the league to look at.

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When looking at every single position group in this year’s draft class, which is the most intriguing?

“Tight end is one of the deepest. I don’t like this receiver group. The D-tackle, the interior-D line, not great. Interior O-line, not deep,” former NFL quarterback and current FOX college football analyst Brock Huard said during Tuesday’s Brock and Salk on Seattle Sports. “The most intriguing is the running back room.”

Huard noted that NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah called this year’s running back class “loaded” with future starters, and that ESPN analyst Louis Riddick told Brock and Salk recently that Tulane running back Tyjae Spears was the star of the Senior Bowl.

“Throw in (Texas running back) Bijan Robinson and some top-end talent, you throw in middle of the road talent,” Huard said, “and oh, by the way, one of those young rookies that we talked about with the Chiefs … there was a kid that ran 4.38 (seconds in the 40-yard dash), (Isaiah) Pacheco out of Rutgers, that went in the seventh round.”

While running back may not be super high on Seahawks’ fans draft wish list, it’s important to note that while Kenneth Walker III will be back for Year 2 and DeeJay Dallas will return for his fourth season, Rashaad Penny is a pending free agent, as is Travis Homer.

In fact, this running back class has so many prospects that make Huard say, “Oh, I like him,” that he thinks Penny and other veteran free-agent running backs will see a pretty weak market this offseason.

Chase Brown (from) Illinois, I like him. Zach Charbonnet, UCLA, I really like him. The kid out of Tulane (Spears), I like him. Mohamed Ibrahim (from Minnesota) … That dude is a physical, downhill absolute thumper. Kendre Miller, TCU, I really like him. (Kansas State’s) Deuce Vaughn in the late rounds, I really like him,” Huard said. “There’s like six or seven for me where I’m like, ‘Oh, I really like that guy and he’s gonna be a good NFL player.’ And that running back room is very, very intriguing … There’s a lot of young thoroughbreds in this running back class.”

Listen to the conversation in the second hour of Tuesday’s Brock and Salk at this link or in the player below.

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