Here's why Ken Walker III looks poised to run away with this year's OROY award. Seahawks | SeahawksNation
in the two weeks since he’s taken over the starting role in Seattle. As a result, he could run away with this year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award in a race that, like many of his runs, doesn’t end up being a close one.
This season, Walker wasn’t always supposed to be the lead back for the Seahawks. When the team drafted him with a second-round pick, it was after they brought back former first-rounderearlier in the offseason. The expectation was that Penny would have his one-year, “prove it” deal to try to produce at a high level as the lead back in Seattle if he managed to stay healthy, which had long been an issue for him.
In the Seahawks’ Week 5 loss to the New Orleans Saints, Penny broke his fibula, ending his season and forcing Walker into the starting role. The rookie has not looked back since. In that Saints game in which he started getting more snaps as the featured back, Walker made an immediate impact, breaking away for a 69-yard touchdown run that showed off all of his good field vision, footwork, and explosiveness. He finished that day averaging 11 yards per carry with 88 yards on eight carries, including that long touchdown run.