Seattle Seahawks Draft UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet 52nd Overall

The Seattle Seahawks selected UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet 52nd overall in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft.

It was already Seattle's fourth pick of this draft, and it was the second choice they've spent on a skill player after adding Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Round 1.

Zach Charbonnet's NFL Draft Profile

Charbonnet started his college career at Michigan, rushing for 726 yards and 11 scores as a freshman in 2019, before transferring to UCLA prior to the 2021 campaign and playing his last two years with the Bruins.

It was with UCLA that he really broke out, racking up two straight 1,000-yard seasons as a runner and scoring 27 total touchdowns across the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

He also contributed as a pass-catcher, too, especially in 2022 as he amassed 37 receptions for 321 yards. Charbonnet posted a 93rd-percentile target share in college, according to PlayerProfiler. Those pass-game skills could be handy in Seattle given who he's now sharing a backfield with (more on that shortly).

NFL Next Gen Stats' prospect model assigned Charbonnet the fourth-best overall score in this year's running-back class but ranked him just 14th in athleticism score.

Zach Charbonnet's Top Comparables

According to Brandon Gdula's NFL prospect database -- which accounts for athleticism, production, size, draft capital, age, and more historically important variables -- here are Charbonnet's top five comparable players.

1. Joe Mixon - 89.3%
2. TJ Yeldon - 88.5%
3. Kerryon Johnson - 87.9%
4. Sony Michel - 86.0%
5. Todd Gurley - 85.6%

Zach Charbonnet in Seattle

Charbonnet is walking into a Seahawks running-back room that is led by Kenneth Walker III, who carried the rock 228 times for 1,050 rushing yards and nine scores as a rookie in 2022.

The passing game might be where Charbonnet can make headway as Walker recorded only 27 receptions last season. But we shouldn't expect too much from the rookie in 2023.

Walker is going to enter the year as the clear favorite to pace Seattle's backfield in touches, but the addition of Charbonnet lowers Walker's ceiling a bit.

Seattle Seahawks 2023 Outlook

The Seahawks' regular season win total number is set at 8.5 with -144 odds on the over, according to FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds.

They're -104 to make the playoffs as well as +4500 to win the Super Bowl.

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