Seahawks take Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price at No. 32

Seattle used the No. 32 pick on Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price, staying at the back end of the first round after late trade-down talks fell apart and the board thinned in front of it. John Schneider had wanted more picks because Seattle entered the draft with only four selections, but five of the six choices from No. 26 through No. 31 were traded before the Seahawks were on the clock, leaving little room to maneuver.

Schneider said Price “stood alone” on Seattle’s board, a clear sign the front office viewed him as the best available player and not just a positional fill-in. That mattered because the Seahawks could have chased another need or tried to stockpile Day 2 capital, but they instead committed a first-rounder to a running back in a league that often treats the position as replaceable. The choice was also shaped by urgency: Kenneth Walker III left in free agency for the Kansas City Chiefs, forcing Seattle to rework a backfield that now includes Zach Charbonnet, George Holani and free-agent addition Emanuel Wilson.

Price brings a profile Seattle believes fits its offense. The Seahawks described him as an explosive playmaker who fits an outside-zone run scheme, and they singled out his acceleration, vision and contact balance. NFL.com listed him at 5-foot-10 5/8 and 203 pounds, with a 4.49-second 40-yard dash and a 6.38 prospect grade, projecting him as a player who could develop into a plus starter.

The production backs up the upside. Price finished his Notre Dame career with 1,692 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns in 41 games without a start. In 2025, he rushed for 674 yards and 11 touchdowns on 113 carries, averaged 6.0 yards per carry, and added two receiving touchdowns and two more scores on kickoff returns. He also returned three kickoffs for touchdowns in his career, a detail that gives Seattle another layer of special-teams value as it reshapes the roster.

The pick also carried a piece of draft history. Price and Notre Dame teammate Jeremiyah Love, who went No. 3 overall to the Arizona Cardinals, became the first teammates selected as the first two running backs in a single draft since the NFL-AFL merger in 1966. From Denison, Texas, Price said Seattle had shown interest and that the draft call was an emotional moment.

For Seattle, the move was part conviction and part gamble. The Seahawks passed on a trade-down market that had almost vanished, then used the last pick of the first round on a runner whose speed and fit were compelling enough to override the usual caution around positional value.