Nobody loves drafting running backs early like the Seattle Seahawks. After losing Kenneth Walker to the Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle selected Notre Dame\u2019s backup Jadarian Price in the first round.<\/p>\n
The San Francisco 49ers received heat from the media for trading down twice before selecting Ole Miss wide receiver De\u2019Zhaun Stribling. The pick was perceived to be a round too early. Former Niners general manager Scot McLoughan endorsed the pick<\/a>.<\/p>\n Seattle used to get flak for drafting running backs, but when you win the Super Bowl, you\u2019re above reproach for a few months. Price was a popular selection in mock drafts, so it wasn\u2019t a surprise to see him selected where he was.<\/p>\n There are several reasons that the Seahawks took Price in the first round. According to ESPN\u2019s<\/a> Brady Henderson, was out of fear that the 49ers would select Price to begin the second round:<\/p>\n Five of the six spots immediately preceding Seattle\u2019s pick at 32 changed hands amid a flurry of trades, including Tennessee moving up to 31. That led to a few nervous minutes in the Seahawks\u2019 draft room, with some fearing that the Titans — who were heavily linked to Love with the fourth pick — were jumping ahead of Seattle for Price. There was also concern that the San Francisco 49ers<\/a> might take him with the first pick of the second round; Seattle\u2019s division rivals later drafted Indiana running back Kaelon Black<\/a> in Round 3.<\/p>\n If you think the talk about consensus was too much last week, imagine if, with all of the perceived team needs, the 49ers used their first pick of the draft on a running back. The discourse would have been more nauseating than it already was.<\/p>\n