The most interesting pick in the Seattle Seahawks’ draft came in the second round, when they took tailback Ken Walker III out of Michigan State. Given that Seattle is in the early stages of a rebuild, and given that tailbacks are often available later in the draft, some were critical of the Seahawks’ decision to snag him with the 41st overall pick. However, tailback Chris Carson had neck surgery and has a questionable future at best, and Rashaad Penny has a long list of injuries of his own. Walker had a terrific season for the Spartans, running for over 1,600 yards in 12 games, coming in sixth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. He had 19 touchdowns on the season, five against Michigan. He only caught 19 passes in three collegiate seasons and has a lot to learn in pass blocking, but he comes from a pro-style offense at Michigan State, so the transition should be smooth. Want to learn about other NFL news items that could influence your NFL betting choices? Read on.
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Mike Davis has joined the Baltimore Ravens’ depth chart at tailback, as the team looks to avoid the running woes that plagued them a year ago. Their top two tailbacks (J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards) blew ACLs in the summer of 2021 and are not projected to come back to the field until this summer’s training camp. Davis started part-time for the Atlanta Falcons in 2021, carrying the ball 138 times for 503 yards and three touchdowns. By cutting Davis on May 2, the Falcons saved $2.5 million on the salary cap. Davis join Ty’Son Williams and Nate McCrary as veterans on the roster; the Ravens also drafted Tyler Badie out of Missouri in the sixth round; Badie was the SEC’s leading rusher in 2021 with 1,604 yards. The Ravens are looking for an upgrade from the tandem of Devonta Freeman and Latavius Murray, who combined for 1,353 yards, the 24th-ranked duo in the league last year. The Ravens have averaged 34.7 rushing attempts per contest since 2018, when Lamar Jackson became the starting quarterback, leading the league in rushes.
The New York Jets have a chance to look much better when 2022 opens, thanks in large part to their draft class. They added Ahmad Gardner, a cornerback from Cincinnati, who turned three years with the Bearcast into a reputation of physical skills, boldness and trickery – a combination that leads to a lot of interceptions. For Jets head coach Robert Saleh, Gardner reminds him of a young Richard Sherman. Garnder is just one of seven new Jets from the draft, a class that is getting rave reviews. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson, defensive end Jermaine Johnson II and tailback Breece Hall also came in the first 36 picks, as the Jets had stockpiled choices, and each of them should contribute right away. Gardner should start opposite free-agent signing D.J. Reed. Wilson should join Corey Davis and Elijah Moore in the starting trio of wide receivers. Johnson should start at defensive end and move John Franklin-Myers to defensive tackle, or he can sub in frequently. Hall should split the carries with Michael Carter, but Hall’s superior speed (4.39 seconds in the 40) and agility (he avoided tackles on 19% of hsi rushing attempts last season) should move him into the lead role.
The Miami Dolphins have a wealth of talent at tailback after adding Sony Michel on a one-year, $2.1 million deal. Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds have already signed free-agent deals with the Dolphins, and they tendered Salvon Ahmed and already had Myles Gaskin on the roster. They came in 30th in the run a year ago, so this is a team looking for a boost at that position. Michel ran for 845 yards and scored five touchdowns with the Rams in their Super Bowl season last year.
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