Rashaad Penny

It only took four years, but Penny finally looked like a first-round pick for a good stretch of 2021. Out of the gate it seemed like it was going to be another lost season for the oft-injured back, as a thigh injury limited him in the preseason before a Week 1 calf strain sent him to IR. Upon his return he was used sparingly, but eventually the Seahawks had nowhere else to turn after Chris Carson went down and Alex Collins struggled. Penny then erupted for 137 rushing yards and two touchdowns Week 14 against the Texans, kicking off a stretch with 671 rushing yards (7.3 YPC) and six TDs over Seattle's final five games. Injuries and lost development time prevented him from ever becoming a reliable receiving option, but Penny's speed and power both seemed to be back during the late-season tear, and he showed good vision and patience as well. The Russell Wilson trade changed the face of the Seattle offense, but Penny signed a one-year contract to stick around and try to prove last season's performance wasn't a fluke. The team may not be convinced, as the Seahawks used a second-round pick on Kenneth Walker out of Michigan State, giving Penny some real competition now that Carson is no longer in the backfield mix.

It's getting harder and harder to remember what the Seahawks saw in Penny when they selected him near the end of the first round in 2018 (ahead of Nick Chubb, among others). Three years into his NFL career, Penny has missed a total of 21 games due to injury, including 13 last season, and when he did get back on the field late in 2020 he did little to suggest any kind of breakout was coming. Assuming he's ever 100 percent again, the San Diego State product has NFL size and 4.46 speed, and while the development of his third-down skills has been hampered by all the time he's missed, he could still be an effective early down option and a useful complement to Chris Carson, who is himself showing the wear and tear of a physical running style. Seattle declined the fifth-year option on Penny's contract this offseason, so he'll get one more chance to prove the organization didn't make a huge mistake when it drafted him.

Penny just can't catch a break. The 2018 first-round pick saw his first significant action of 2019 in Week 2 after a Chris Carson fumble, only to strain his hamstring prior to Week 3. The issue bothered Penny off and on for the next month, and his touches were limited until after the team's bye, at which point he erupted for 236 yards and three touchdowns in the next two games. On his first touch the following week against the Rams, he tore his ACL and was done for the year. When he's healthy, Penny's size (5-11, 220) and speed (4.46 40) make him an effective runner, with a career 5.3 YPC. Penny isn't expected to be ready for Week 1, however, as his knee injury included additional ligament and/or meniscus damage. The Seahawks signed Carlos Hyde and drafted DeeJay Dallas in the fourth round, giving Penny time to get healthy.

Usually, when a team invests a first-round pick in a running back, the assumption is it will give the crown jewel of its draft class more than 94 touches, but apparently they do things a little different in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, Penny had the second-fewest touches since 2002 of any first-round rookie running back with at least 12 games played (David Wilson, 75 in 2012). Penny suffered a broken finger in training camp, and while he recovered in time for Week 1, Chris Carson locked up the starting job for good a couple weeks later; Penny then had a hard time even wrestling the No. 2 job away from Mike Davis. The rookie showed why he was the 27th overall pick when he got a chance, though, rushing for 108 yards and a score on 12 carries in Week 10 when Carson was out. Penny didn't show much as a receiver, but that shouldn't be a huge obstacle in an offense that attempted a league-low 427 passes last season. What he does offer is good size (220 pounds), some power in his legs and surprising speed (4.46 40), and with Davis now in Chicago, Penny heads into his second season looking to force his way into a timeshare with Carson. The duo's similar skill set should allow them to wear down defenses, so the better numbers any given week could come down to who gets carries in the fourth quarter, causing a headache for owners.

Arguably the most shocking selection of the 2018 draft, Penny went to Seattle with the 27th overall pick, the second running back off the board. The team definitely had a need at the position, but taking Penny over bigger-name backs like Sony Michel, Nick Chubb and Derrius Guice raised eyebrows. Penny, though, fits the mold Seattle looks for in a lead back at 5-11, 220, and, importantly, doesn't have the injury history of the aforementioned trio. During his final season at San Diego State he displayed both power and patience as a runner, letting his blocks set up before he trampled defenders in the hole. His surprising 4.46 40 time at the combine likely played into his rise up the Hawks' draft board, erasing any doubt regarding his athleticism. While the building blocks are there for him to be a solid NFL starter, Penny needs to work on his receiving and blocking to become a true three-down asset, and his upright running style and average elusiveness can lead to too much contact. Given the draft capital Seattle used to get him and the lack of established talent on the depth chart, Penny has every opportunity to seize the lead role, though a broken finger he suffered in August has temporarily slowed his momentum. On the plus side, Penny should be back in time for Week 1.