The Seahawks selected UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Charbonnet got off to a rough start to his college career at Michigan but managed to find his way high up draft boards after a pair of stellar seasons at UCLA. He doesn’t have a singular trait that sticks out and makes you say “wow,” but he checks several boxes prospective managers will love. Charbonnet has the size at 6’0, 214 pounds. His 4.53-second 40-yard speed is plenty with his frame. Plus, Charbonnet can be trusted as a short-area pass-catcher. His targets nearly doubled from 2021 to 2022 en route to finishing his senior season with 1,680 scrimmage yards, showing he’s one of the small handful of RBs in this class with three-down potential at the next level. He just won’t be placed in that role in the short-term. Charbonnet landed with a Seahawks squad already featuring Kenneth Walker, who finished as a top-20 fantasy RB as a rookie. Current projections have Charbonnet as the PPR RB50.

Seahawks HC Pete Carroll came away from the preseason opener pleased with the play of RB Zach Charbonnet. The rookie carried 4 times for 14 yards, adding 2 grabs for 14 additional yards. “Looked good, didn’t he?” Carroll said. “He looked really physical. Guys on the sidelines were going crazy for him. He has had a great start with us.” Current projections have Charbonnet for about 9 touches per game. He sits as a top-40 RB in our RB rankings.

Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet (shoulder) returned to practice on Thursday. He’ll participate in Friday’s mock scrimmage, per HC Pete Carroll. The rookie will also soak up extra first-team reps with Kenneth Walker nursing a groin injury. See where both Seahawks sit in our fantasy RB rankings.

Seahawks HC Pete Carroll called RB Zach Charbonnet a "complement" to RB Ken Walker and highlighted Charbonnet's ability in the passing game. "He can block and catch the ball out of the backfield," Carroll said. "He's good in the screen game. Makes big plays." Charbonnet caught 61 balls over the past two seasons at UCLA and ranked 13th among 119 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus' 2022 receiving grades. Walker totaled just 19 receptions across three college seasons, although he did tally 27 receptions as a rookie last year. We'll keep a close eye on Seattle's backfield this summer, but it sounds like Charbonnet might be slated for passing-down duties. That'd be bad news for Walker's fantasy value.

UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet looked sharp at the NFL Combine, weighing in at 6’0 and 214 pounds. Though his athleticism didn’t blow the doors off Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Charbonnet’s official 4.53 40-yard time and sound performances in most of the drills on Sunday reflect his profile of a well-rounded RB with a potential 3-down skill set. Look for Charbonnet’s name to be called at some point during Day 2 of the NFL Draft in April.