Penny will have more competition in training camp after the Seahawks selected Kenneth Walker in the second round (41st overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.
Prior to the draft, Penny's main competition was set to be Chris Carson, but the Seahawks have hinted that they have doubts about Carson's ability to return from a neck injury, Gregg Bell of The News Tribune reports. Penny has never had a fully healthy season, either. Thus, it's not surprising that the Seahawks utilized a draft pick to bring in another running back, but utilizing this high of a pick signals that the Seahawks believe Walker can be their starter at some point. Nevertheless, it's Penny's job to lose. His production last season was undisputable, as he rumbled for 692 total yards and six touchdowns over the final five games. If Penny can stay healthy, we may witness a situation similar to 2018 when Penny was a rookie first-round pick but Carson -- the second-year player -- never gave up the starting job.