Heading into the draft, the Seahawks thought they needed a running back. They already had 2017 seventh-round draft pick Chris Carson and former waiver claim Mike Davis, but they believed they needed more talent at the position. So Seattle spent a first-round draft pick on running back Rashaad Penny.
And through five games, that is not looking like a wise move.
On Sunday against the Rams, the Seahawks had their best rushing performance of the season, gaining 190 yards on the ground. But Penny was a non-factor. Carson had 19 carries for 116 yards, while Davis added 12 carries for 68 yards and a touchdown. Penny was active for the game, but he didn’t get a single snap on offense and got only one play on special teams.
For the season, Penny has been the least effective of the three running backs. Penny has 29 carries for 92 yards this season, while Carson leads the team with 64 carries for 293 yards, and Davis has 36 carries for 172 yards.
The running back position in today’s NFL simply isn’t very valuable, and it’s a position where the types of players you draft in the first round aren’t a lot better than the types of players you draft in the seventh round or claim on waivers. And sometimes those first-round picks are worse. The Seahawks look like a team that made a mistake with a first-round pick.