Snap Reactions: Zach Charbonnet outsnaps Ken Walker for third straight game

The 2023 second round running back has slowly seen his snaps increase over the course of the season, and is now routinely seeing the field a little bit more than the 2022 second round running back.

When the Seattle Seahawks made their second pick of the second round in the 2023 NFL Draft, they surprised many fans and observers by selecting running back Zach Charbonnet out of UCLA. A big part of the surprise for many regarding the pick was the fact that the Hawks already had 2022 second round pick Ken Walker at running back, but it never hurts to have depth at the most injury prone position in the NFL.

Fast forward to what is effectively the midpoint of the 2023 season, while Walker continues to be tasked with the bulk of the opportunities to carry the football, Charbonnet was on the field for more offensive snaps than Walker in the Week 10 win over the Washington Commanders.

A 42 to 39 edge in snaps played is certainly not huge, but it’s not the first time Charbonnet has seen the field more than Walker in recent weeks. In the Week 9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens Charbonnet played 27 snaps to 24 for Walker, and in the Week 8 victory over the Cleveland Browns the split was 34-24 in favor of the rookie. Obviously, Walker has started all nine games so far this season, but this is something worth noting and keeping an eye on through the rest of 2023 and into 2024.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Seahawks continue to make use of very nickel and dime heavy packages, averaging 5.2 defensive backs on the field per snap. The extra defensive backs are coming at the expensive of the defensive front, where the Hawks are averaged just 2.3 defensive linemen per snap, while Frank Clark (17) played more snaps than Derick Hall (11).

And then when it comes to special teams, the regulars were at the top of the list, including Brady Russell, Nick Bellore, Jon Rhattigan and DeeJay Dallas.

And now it’s on to Week 11 and the Los Angeles Rams.