Seattle Seahawks rookie running back showing pro-abilities already
Former UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet is already showing signs of being a really good player at the NFL level.
It's still early, but former UCLA running back and newly-minted Seattle Seahawks rookie Zach Charbonnet is already showing signs that the team made the right decision in drafting him.
Throughout the beginning of the team's organized offseason activities, Charbonnet has carried himself with a sense of maturity that has Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron oozing with excitement.
It's partly his physical attributes: size, strength, and speed, that force Waldron to sing his praises. But for Charbonnet, his maturity continues to shine through — carrying himself as though he is a 10-year veteran when he hasn't even played his first NFL down.
“Zach is another guy, similar to [center] Olu [Oluwatimi], where he has stepped into the building and you get that true pro feel from the guy right away," Waldron said when speaking to reporters on Thursday. "He’s really serious about his business and then you notice his size and speed at running back. I know that you can’t tell a whole lot about what’s going to happen when the pads go on when we are out here right now, but you do get the feel where he is playing at a high tempo. He’s a big back, he has a toughness about him, and he’s really gathering all of the information and is picking up the offense quickly.”
What stands out about Charbonnet is his ability to attack would-be tacklers, making them and at times shrugging them off.
Waldron feels like Charbonnet can bring that same production to the Seahawks this season.
“Seeing him in person, he feels big and fast, so he’s a good guy to have on our team," Waldron said. "He was able to average such a high yards per carry at UCLA, so I know he’s able to run some guys over, but it wasn’t like he was running someone over every snap. A lot of it was from some of the speed and burst that he was able to show on college tape that will translate here, and we will see where it progresses from OTAs to minicamp.”
The Seahawks running back room is chalked full of talent. Kenneth Walker III returns, after an impressive 2022 season. Seattle also added a versatile running back in Kenny McIntosh, out of Georgia, in the seventh round of the NFL draft, and Charbonnet brings a downhill running style that will tire defenses out.
He may not be literally NFL-ready out of the gate. But, as it seems to Waldron, Charbonnet is as close as it gets.
Feature image via Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports.
