The 2025 NFL Draft has just wrapped up, but as always, attention is already shifting toward the next wave of talent. With the 2026 draft class starting to take shape, early mock drafts are offering insight into which prospects could rise — and which teams may target specific positions.
In a new 3-round mock draft by Ian Cummings from PFSN, the Seattle Seahawks used their first pick on a running back, reinforcing a position that has traditionally been a focal point of their offense. Let’s take a closer look at this strategy and how it aligns with Seattle’s current roster and long-term plans.
Seahawks Predicted To Pick Notre Dame Running Back
The running back position has always been a strength for the Seahawks, and in recent years, the franchise has consistently invested early draft capital in hopes of rekindling the magic of the Marshawn Lynch era.
Unfortunately, Kenneth Walker’s career never quite took off after his rookie season. Battling injuries and inconsistency, he hasn’t cracked 1,000 rushing yards again and now enters the final year of his contract with little expectation of a second deal from Seattle.
The team also spent a second-round pick on Zach Charbonnet in 2023, but he has yet to emerge as a true three-down back, settling into a rotational role instead.
With that context, and projected to pick 15th overall in 2026, Ian Cummings predicts Seattle will once again target a running back — Jeremiyah Love, from Notre Dame — a calculated move to stabilize the offense and find the centerpiece the franchise has lacked since Lynch’s prime.
“Kenneth Walker has stalled out after a strong rookie campaign, and it feels like he won’t be back in Seattle once his contract expires in 2026. Luckily for the Seahawks, they could be in prime position to pick the preliminary RB1 of the 2026 NFL Draft: Jeremiyah Love. Lightning to Damien Martinez’s thunder,” Cummings wrote.
Martinez was selected in the seventh round of the most recent NFL Draft to add depth to the Seahawks’ running back group. As a rookie, he’ll compete for touches alongside Walker, Charbonnet, and Kenny McIntosh.
“At 6’0″, 212 pounds, Love is taller and leggier than Walker, but he’s a deadly creator in his own kind of way. He’s a slippery, slashing free-strider with hyper-elite vertical burst, and an unflappable center of gravity that allows him to cut and gash through arm tackles and routinely re-find his feet,” Cummings added.
Seattle is in a position to make strategic investments in its offensive unit. The franchise signed Cooper Kupp in free agency and extended his contract for three more seasons, while quarterback Sam Darnold finally had his breakout year in 2025. Drafting Love would align with the team’s continued effort to build an offense that blends explosiveness with veteran experience.
