As soon as once more, the Seattle Seahawks drafted a participant at their unique slot within the first spherical of the 2026 NFL Draft, deciding on Notre Dame working again Jadarian Value at No. 32 total. Value will try to step into the explosive footwear of reigning Tremendous Bowl 60 MVP Kenneth Walker III, who departed in free company to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
Relative Athletic Rating (RAS)
Proper off the bat, let’s tackle that one purple block in Value’s RAS: his weight at 203 lbs. He admitted in one in all his post-draft interviews that it was lighter than he performed at, and is planning to be round 210 this season, which whereas lighter than a lot of Seattle’s former RBs, continues to be completely acceptable particularly contemplating K9 was listed only one pound heavier at 211 lbs. In case you’ve seen photos of Value, he appears to be like effectively constructed and highly effective. Messing round with the RAS calculator permits you to enter different values. Only for reference, Value’s RAS at 210 lbs could be 8.71 assuming the testing numbers would keep the identical.
Because it stands, Value has an excellent athletic profile regardless of solely being within the “green” for his 40-yard sprint of 4.49 seconds and broad soar. His Mockdraftable spider chart can also be principally above common apart from his 10-yard break up and aforementioned top. We’ll get again to that low 10-yard break up as a result of Value performs a lot quicker than his testing numbers would point out.
There aren’t any RAS comps listed that I need to name out, however I’ve a couple of of my very own. The primary one really reveals up within the Mockdraftable comp listing.
You’ll be able to select to consider me or not, however I really had this one in thoughts earlier than gathering the analysis to do that article. I prefer to comb by my more and more ageing mind and check out to determine who a newly drafted participant jogs my memory of, and Jones got here to thoughts as an explosive again with kick return skill who was on the lighter aspect. Jones by no means actually broke out as he was sharing a backfield with Marion Barber III after which DeMarco Murray whereas in Dallas earlier than a remaining poor season as a 26-year-old with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Value’s kick return skill is a ability that units him aside from different backs, which despatched me down the analysis rabbit gap after probably the most profitable kick returners in faculty soccer historical past. Check out this screenshot of the school profession kickoff return leaders.
If we take away the 2 WRs Service and Scarver, we’re left with three RBs – two of that are former first-round picks and Seahawks Legends!
Value is principally proper in the midst of Penny and Spiller by way of total RAS and falls between them in weight. Each Penny and Spiller had their share of explosive performs within the NFL regardless of their underwhelming careers.
Only for enjoyable, I appeared up another dimension comps for Value.
Just a few of those are very fascinating…
Earlier than we transfer on, how about some comps with Value and different former Seahawks RBs with a wildcard snuck in on the finish?
Earlier than you shoot the messenger right here, I’m simply presenting these comps to gauge the general athleticism that Value brings, not saying that he’s an analogous runner stylistically to any of those gamers though he does show the explosive potential that numerous these gamers even have. Extra on that in a bit.
I ended the comps with Percy Harvin on function as a result of I assumed it was fascinating to see their testing numbers aspect by aspect as a RB regardless that Harvin wasn’t full-time at that place. In case you forgot or didn’t comply with faculty soccer again then, Harvin was ridiculous.
There’s a motive JS wished to carry Harvin to Seattle. Value is a special physique sort than Harvin, however shows a number of the identical one-cut-and-go breakaway potential. He could possibly be a really enjoyable addition to the offense.
Heading into the draft, I believed John Schneider when he stated he wished to commerce again from No. 32. I additionally believed that there have been a couple of gamers that may trigger him to remain at that spot and choose. As soon as Chris Johnson was off the board, I pivoted to wanting a slight commerce again. In my thoughts, it was right down to Jadarian Value, Kayden McDonald, or Colton Hood. Everyone knows what occurred subsequent as a flurry of trades dried up any probability for JS to make his personal transfer. Once I noticed the “Pick Is In” graphic come up for the Seahawks, my first thought was that Value could be probably the most enjoyable choose of these three that I discussed. He was rumored closely to Seattle, so it wasn’t a shock to listen to his title introduced, and I used to be enthusiastic about it.
Clearly, Schneider wished to commerce down and nonetheless get Value whereas selecting up further draft capital. He admitted as a lot within the press convention after the primary spherical. One in every of JS’ superpowers within the draft is the flexibility to gauge the place a participant will get drafted and maneuver himself across the board simply sufficient to build up capital whereas not lacking out on a lot of “his guys.” See the Gray Zabel and Nick Emmanwori picks from the 2025 NFL Draft. JS was not going to take a foul commerce only for the sake of transferring again and threat shedding out on Value, which is why they simply stayed put and selected him. I assumed the Tennessee Titans moved up forward of the Seahawks to snipe him, however that didn’t occur. Perhaps that scared JS a bit bit with the San Francisco 49ers sitting at No. 33 who could have chosen Value contemplating they drafted Kaelon Black within the third spherical.
Both manner, Schneider nonetheless ended up with a participant he actually likes who fills an enormous want at RB – notably the necessity for an explosive, big-play weapon to interchange Kenneth Walker III. If there’s one factor Jadarian Value can listing as his calling card, it’s precisely that.
Cool Shit Proportion ought to be a brand new official stat!
Seattle will likely be with out Zach Charbonnet for probably an excellent chunk of the 2026 common season, and not one of the different working backs on the roster carry the kind of juice that Jadarian Value has.
As I discussed earlier on this article, Value performs a lot quicker than his testing suggests. He has good imaginative and prescient and lateral quickness, permitting him to be very efficient on cutbacks. Perhaps a part of that comes from his expertise as a kick returner?
You’d assume that USC would’ve realized their lesson and never kicked the ball to Value the second yr in a row! Nonetheless, Value could possibly be a weapon within the return sport in the event that they put him again there with Rashid Shaheed. You would possibly as effectively simply kick it by the again of the top zone every time.
Jadarian Value rookie season prediction
I’m actually attempting to separate my hopes from my precise predictions right here and I’ve had a tough time deciding if I really assume Value can have an incredible rookie season or if it’s the truth that I would like him to have an incredible rookie season if for no different motive than to stay it to everybody who says you shouldn’t draft a RB within the first spherical. I hated that entire “running backs don’t matter” BS as a result of I actually assume they do. The Seahawks run sport hit its stride late final season partially because of K9’s expertise. But, I consider the development in run blocking contributed to that as effectively.
Jadarian Value ought to get the lion’s share of the carries notably early within the season as Charbonnet recovers from his ACL damage. I feel Value will show as much as the duty of changing K9, matching his rookie complete of 1,050 yards whereas including a further 200 yards receiving. He received’t fairly hit the TD complete of Walker although, as he’ll end with 8. Since I’m feeling my oats a bit, two of these TDs will come on performs of fifty+ yards. Seattle will cut back Value’s workload later within the season when Charbonnet comes again, resulting in a wholesome and harmful two-headed monster when the playoffs begin.
To get your self within the temper, right here’s a bit spotlight reel of our latest first-rounder!
