Bottom Line

Charbonnet flashed three-down ability at UCLA over the past two years, totaling 2,496 rushing yards and 518 receiving yards.

The Seahawks took him 52nd overall in the draft.

Charbonnet joins a backfield with Ken Walker, a 2022 second-rounder who ran for 1,050 yards as a rookie last year.

Walker wasn’t nearly as impressive as a pass catcher, though, making Charbonnet the early favorite for primary passing-down duties this season. We’ll see how big a ball-carrying role he earns.

You shouldn’t count on Charbonnet as a fantasy starter. But he’s an intriguing bench stash who, at worst, is a Walker injury away from a big role.

What We Learned Last Year

• Charbonnet posted career highs as a senior at UCLA last year with 1,359 rushing yards and 14 rushing TDs on 7.0 yards per carry.
• He ranked fourth among 168 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus rushing grade and 22nd in elusive rating.
• Charbonnet was also a big part of UCLA’s passing game, tallying 37 catches and 321 receiving yards. Those marks ranked third and fourth, respectively, on the team.
• Charbonnet ranked 13th in PFF receiving grade and 31st in yards per route run among 119 qualifying RBs.
• He also operated as UCLA’s lead back as a junior in 2021, registering 1,137 rushing yards and 13 TDs on 203 carries (5.6 YPC), plus 24 catches for 197 yards (8.2 YPC).
• Charbonnet opened his college career at Michigan. He led the team (ahead of Hassan Haskins) with 149 carries and 726 rushing yards as a true freshman. But Charbonnet fell behind Haskins and freshman Blake Corum in 2020 and ultimately decided to transfer to UCLA.
• Charbonnet checked into the Combine at a sturdy 6’0 and 214 pounds. He registered a 4.53-second 40 time to go along with 75th-percentile broad jump and 80th percentile vertical. Charbonnet earned an 87th-percentile Relative Athletic Score.
• The Seahawks made Charbonnet the 52nd overall pick and third RB off the board in this spring’s draft.

What to Expect in 2023

• Charbonnet joins the Seahawks backfield alongside Ken Walker.
  • Walker was the 41st overall pick of last year’s draft.
  • He was excellent as a runner last year, ripping off 1,050 yards on 4.6 yards per carry and ranking 11th among 48 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus’ rushing grades.
  • But Walker underwhelmed in the passing game, finishing with 27 catches for 165 yards (6.1 YPC) and 0 TDs. He ranked 42nd among 43 qualifying RBs in yards per route run.
  • Here’s how Charbonnet and Walker stacked up in their final college seasons in key rushing and receiving metrics:

• Shortly after the draft, HC Pete Carroll called Charbonnet a “complement” to Walker and highlighted the rookie’s ability in the passing game. Charbonnet looks like the early favorite for passing-down snaps this season.
• Seattle returns OC Shane Waldron and QB Geno Smith.
• This was a pass-leaning offense last year, ranking:
  • 12th in pass rate
  • fifth in situation-neutral pass rate
  • eighth in pass rate over expected
• Seahawks RBs totaled the 25th most PPR points and 19th most non-PPR points last year.
• Charbonnet will play behind an offensive line that last year ranked:
  • 18th in Pro Football Focus’ run-blocking grades
  • 30th in Football Outsiders’ adjusted line yards
  • 24th in ESPN’s run block win rate
• Seattle didn’t make any significant additions to the O-line this offseason. But OTs Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas both turned in solid rookie seasons last year and are candidates to take steps forward in 2023.