WATCH: Video emerges of tense scenes in Seahawks' draft war room as second-round pick failed to pick up all-important call
One of the more surprising moves in the 2022 NFL Draft was when the Seattle Seahawks drafted running back Kenneth Walker in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft.
With positional needs for quarterbacks, cornerbacks, and others, it was surprising to see Seattle draft another running back high.
On draft night, the Seahawks got a bit of a scare. They tried to call Walker over and over and kept getting a voicemail with the message:
"Sorry I can't talk now.. leave a message."
They finally got a hold of him with about a minute left and told him they were drafting him.
WATCH: Seahawks keep getting Kenneth Walker's voicemail on draft day
The first episode of the docuseries The Sound takes viewers "inside the inside the Seahawks draft room at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center as GM John Schneider, head coach Pete Carroll, and the scouting department make their selections during the 2022 NFL Draft:"
The moment when @Kenneth_Walker9 didn't pick up the phone 😅
"The Sound" Ep. 1 | Watch now » shwks.com/TheSound https://t.co/J7hjHeGu9h
Seahawks general manager John Schneider said:
"Ken Walker didn't want to pick up. We thought he was taking a nap or something. And so, got a little hectic."
Walker played in college at Wake Forest for his first two years before transferring to Michigan State in 2021. He upped his total numbers in rushing yards (1,636 yards), 18 touchdowns, 13 receptions, 89 yards, and a receiving touchdown. Last season, he was a unanimous All-American while winning the Walter Camp Award and the Doak Walker Award.
The Seattle Seahawks drafted Kenneth Walker partly due to Chris Carson's health
One of the main reasons Seattle drafted Walker was the uncertain status of Chris Carson's health. On November 19, it was revealed that Carson needed neck surgery, which prematurely ended his 2021 season.
Head coach Pete Carroll said part of Carson's health is why they drafted Walker. Carroll added that they couldn't pass up a player like him.
Carroll said:
“I would say this, we picked him because, on the board, he was up there for us and we couldn’t pass him up. We don’t have updates yet on Chris, we won’t know for some time here. We can't predict that... With the commitment that we have in the run game, we want that group of guys really raring up to get this thing going. It felt like a good move, it’s going to make it very competitive and it’s going to be the theme throughout camp.”
The Seahawks now have a loaded running back group. Led by Chris Carson, they also have former first-round pick Rashaad Penny, DeeJay Dallas, and Travis Homer.
Seattle's running back room now:
Chris Carson
Rashaad Penny
Kenneth Walker
DeeJay Dallas
Travis Homer
Seattle are unlikely to head into Week 1 with all five running backs on the roster, but it's a loaded committee for now.