Nobody loves drafting running backs early like the Seattle Seahawks. After losing Kenneth Walker to the Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle selected Notre Dame’s backup Jadarian Price in the first round.
The San Francisco 49ers received heat from the media for trading down twice before selecting Ole Miss wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling. The pick was perceived to be a round too early. Former Niners general manager Scot McLoughan endorsed the pick.
Seattle used to get flak for drafting running backs, but when you win the Super Bowl, you’re above reproach for a few months. Price was a popular selection in mock drafts, so it wasn’t a surprise to see him selected where he was.
There are several reasons that the Seahawks took Price in the first round. According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, was out of fear that the 49ers would select Price to begin the second round:
Five of the six spots immediately preceding Seattle’s pick at 32 changed hands amid a flurry of trades, including Tennessee moving up to 31. That led to a few nervous minutes in the Seahawks’ draft room, with some fearing that the Titans — who were heavily linked to Love with the fourth pick — were jumping ahead of Seattle for Price. There was also concern that the San Francisco 49ers might take him with the first pick of the second round; Seattle’s division rivals later drafted Indiana running back Kaelon Black in Round 3.
If you think the talk about consensus was too much last week, imagine if, with all of the perceived team needs, the 49ers used their first pick of the draft on a running back. The discourse would have been more nauseating than it already was.
Seattle may have had bad intel if they thought the 49ers were going after Price. Or they used it to justify taking Price rather than trading back. Kyle Shanahan said the team had Kaelon Black as their RB2. So, somebody is off here.
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