Mike Salk Is Actually Right: The Seahawks Need to Draft a Running Back at 32
Here's the thing about Mike Salk saying the Seahawks should take a running back in the first round: when a guy who watches every snap, every angle, every debate all week finally agrees with the draft room, you have to listen. And that's exactly where Salk is landing on Seattle's No. 32 pick.
The math is simple. Kenneth Walker III is gone. The backfield depth that looked solid a season ago has evaporated. Mike Macdonald and offensive coordinator Brian Fleury are building something with Sam Darnold under center, and they're working with a brand new offensive identity around Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, and Cooper Kupp. A running back who can move the chains, open up play action, and take some pressure off the passing game isn't a luxury at this point in the draft. It's a need.
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The Seahawks have only four picks in the entire draft, which means every selection has to count. You can't afford to wait on a position group when you're thin. The gap between a first-round back and a second-round back is real, and Seattle's draft capital is limited. Salk's argument cuts through the noise: if you need it, and the value is there at 32, you take it.
The 2026 roster is a work in progress. Macdonald is still shaping the defense after the departures of Coby Bryant, Riq Woolen, and Boye Mafe. The offense needs tools that make Darnold's job easier, not harder. A dynamic running back does that immediately.
What Comes Next
The draft is just over a week away, and every mock, every analyst, every conversation in the Pacific Northwest is spinning around what Seattle does with that 32nd pick. Salk's endorsement of going running back isn't the final word, but it's a data point that matters. When smart voices who've spent months breaking down film and evaluating talent agree on a direction, the front office is probably listening.
The Seahawks will make their pick soon enough. But if they do go running back, at least we'll know why.
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