Mike Wright admitted that his enthusiasm for Kenneth Walker is more vibe‑driven than projection‑driven, yet he is planting a flag on the ceiling. Wright reminded listeners that Walker actually scored more fantasy points per game in Year 3 than in either of his first two seasons despite ankle and oblique issues. He expects the new offensive coordinator to lean heavily on the run, which pairs nicely with Walker’s career 4.6‑yards‑after‑contact highlight‑reel style. 2025 is also a contract season, giving Walker every incentive to gut through nagging injuries and push for a workhorse role. If the health cooperates and the run‑heavy scheme materializes, Wright believes Walker has a realistic path to a top‑five finish, especially after flashing improved receiving chops last year. He concedes the floor is scary—new OC, rookie Braylon Allen behind him, historical inefficiency versus base looks—but says managers chasing upside should treat Walker as a boom‑or‑bust RB2 who could become a league‑winning RB1 if all the levers pull the right way.

Andy Holloway flagged multiple red‑alert metrics that pushed Kenneth Walker outside his top‑15. Walker ranked sixth‑worst among qualified backs in yards from scrimmage per touch (4.4) and was literally last in yards per carry versus base defenses at 3.9. Even when defenses did not stack the box he averaged just 3.2 YPC in first halves, forcing Seattle to throw more later. Although a new offensive coordinator promises a run‑heavy approach, Holloway questioned whether Walker’s ankle and oblique issues—plus rookie phenom Braylon Allen behind him—will allow him to capitalize. Without a spike in efficiency or high‑value receptions, Holloway views Walker as a boom‑bust RB2 rather than the safe RB1 many drafters remember from 2023.