A seventh-round pick saved the season
On Sunday the Seahawks became the fourth team in NFL history with a 1,000-yard rusher and three 300-yard rushers. The 1,000-yard rusher is obviously Chris Carson. If you’re a football fan that might seem obvious to you. Carson has been tearing up the league this year and has been the quiet leader of the Seahawks backfield.
But if we journey back to the start of last season, it was anything but a guarantee that Carson would become the Seahawks starter. Actually, there was never a guarantee that he would even be drafted.
The Seahawks drafted Carson in the seventh round, 249th Overall, of the 2017 draft out of Oklahoma St. In college Carson only saw action in his junior and senior seasons, but even then he was hardly a highlighted player. In those two seasons, he ran the ball just 213 times for 1,076 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was the team’s leading rusher in 2015 but then Justice Hill arrived and assumed the role primary ball carrier.
Carson went on to compete for the starting running back job for the Seahawks as a rookie and eventually earned the job, but he ended up on injured reserve after just three games as a starter. Because he missed so much time, it was unsure what his role would be on the team in 2018. Then the Seahawks surprisingly drafted Rashaad Penny in the first round and the backfield got even more crowded. Carson did end up starting for the Seahawks this year though and he hasn’t looked back.
With his 27 carries and 116 rushing yards on Sunday, Carson crossed the 1,000-yard rushing mark. He also ran for two crucial touchdowns. This year Carson has 228 carries, 1,029 rushing yards (roughly 4.5 yards per carry), and eight rushing touchdowns. If you’ve followed the Seahawks this season, then you know just how much the run game has meant to this team. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say Carson has been the player who has made this surprisingly great season possible.