Seattle Seahawks: Rashaad Penny could run right into playoffs
Rashaad Penny has some big shoes to fill, and there’s no doubt that the Seattle Seahawks will look to ride the rookie all the way to the postseason.
The Seattle Seahawks surprised everyone when they took former San Diego State running back Rashaad Penny with their first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft with other guys on the board like Sony Michel, Nick Chubb and Ronald Jones. Instead, the Seahawks opted for Penny to be the future of their backfield.
New offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will look to pound the rock. Throughout Schottenheimer’s career, the one constant has been the running game. More specifically, his offense features the running back being used as both runner and pass catcher. Let’s briefly examine his tenure with the Jets from 2006-11.
Early on it was Thomas Jones being used as the primary ball carrier. Leon Washington took on receiving duties, catching 47 passes in 2008. When LaDainian Tomilson came over, he totaled 94 catches in his first two seasons (2010-11) under Schottenheimer. It’s likely that Penny will be used the same way.
As with most first-round picks, Penny is expected to come in right away and contribute in some fashion. Head coach Pete Carroll talked about how Penny fits into their offense. More specifically, Carroll alluded to Penny’s role as a pass catcher (per Seahawks Wire):
"“He caught the ball beautifully… He can do whatever we need to do in the throwing game. Schotty did a nice job of mixing some stuff in so we could see him doing different route concepts, so we had a really good variety of things that we looked at in and out of the backfield.”"
The vote of confidence from Caroll points to Penny being more than just a third-down back. As a matter of fact, the current slate of backs on the Seahawks roster means more work for Penny than Carroll’s comments suggest.
Seattle’s depth chart currently has Cris Carson, Mike Davis, C.J. Prosise and J.D. McKissic. Carson’s rookie season didn’t do anything to wow anyone, but he was never looked at as a feature back. Davis is a 5-9, 217-pound power back. Unfortunately, his career 2.9 yards per carry average doesn’t serve him any good. Prosise has only appeared in 11 games over two seasons. Finally, a former Arkansas State receiver turned running back, McKissic has the skills to play third downs, but he’ll be the odd man out.
As a prospect, Penny posses the abilities of each back in one package. His 5-11, 220-pound build makes him the biggest back on the roster. He has the same power as Davis and Carson, but with a little more wiggle. Penny’s ability to avoid and break tackles was second to no other back in the entire draft class.
The immediate thought was Penny would be used as a workhorse with the others working in to spell him. After what Carroll said, however, it doesn’t look that way. Carroll saying he’ll be used on third downs means that he’ll be used as more than a runner.
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With Jimmy Graham’s departure, the Seahawks will need another safety net for Wilson — Penny can be that guy. One of the missing elements on the Seahawks offense has been a back that can consistently carry the load. Russell Wilson needs a reliable back, and so does Schottenheimer’s offense.
Conclusively, Penny’s ability to catch the ball means he’ll see a heavy workload. If he can stay healthy, there’s a chance he could have a better season than any back in the 2018 draft class. Should Penny live up to the lofty expectations, Seattle could run him right into the playoffs.