The Seahawks’ case for Jonathan Taylor is simple enough: if Seattle wants the best possible shot at another Super Bowl, Taylor is the back to chase.
Among the players believed to be available, he’d move the needle more than anyone else this season. Not a little more, either - by a wide margin. The fit is obvious because Seattle has been missing the kind of runner who can force a defense to change its behavior.
That’s where the number 1.46 comes in. It’s the time it takes Taylor to cover 10 yards from a standing start, and that burst is the real selling point.
His 4.39 40-yard dash is excellent, but for a running back, the first 10 yards matter more. That’s the burst that gets through the line, turns a crease into daylight, and changes a play before the defense can recover.
Seattle knows exactly what that looks like. Kenneth Walker did it last season on his way to Super Bowl MVP, and the offense has missed that element this year without him.
Walker’s 1.49 10-yard split was elite, and Taylor is even faster. Jadarian Price flashed some of that before getting hurt, but no other Seahawks back can provide it.
Taylor can.
He’s not Walker’s clone, but the similarities matter. Taylor is bigger, about 15 pounds heavier, and more inclined to hit a hole hard or run through contact than bounce everything outside.
That size gives him an edge near the goal line, too. It’s tough to keep him out of the end zone, and he’s already led the league in rushing touchdowns twice in six seasons.
He has eight this year, which currently puts him first.
There’s also a little speed debate tucked into the numbers. De’Von Achane’s 4.32 40 is among the best for a running back, but his 10-yard split is 1.51.
Raheem Mostert also goes 1.49, while Raiders rookie Mike Washington clocks a 4.33 in the 40 and a 1.51 at 10 yards. Chris Johnson remains the only back the source points to with a faster 10-yard split than Taylor, and Johnson’s 1.40 is described as other-worldly.
So the football case is easy. Taylor would give Seattle the kind of runner who can tilt a defense and make the offense feel complete again. The question is whether the Seahawks want to pay for that now and later.
That’s where the complication lives: the salary cap. Taylor has a couple more years left on his deal, and Seattle has already committed money to several key players.
JSN, Spoon, and Williams have all been paid, and Byron Murphy II and Nick Emmanwori will need new deals down the road. The bigger long-term issue, though, is edge rusher.
Demarcus Lawrence could retire after this season, Uchenna Nwosu turns 30 at the end of the year, and Mike Macdonald’s pressure-heavy defense needs a steady supply of talented edges to keep working the way he wants.
Seattle could handle a trade package that starts with a first-round pick. That would sting, but the team would still have plenty of picks next year. The tighter squeeze comes later, when the cap gets more crowded and the roster needs more help up front.
For this season, though, the argument points one way. Taylor would make the offense Super Bowl-caliber, and the risk looks worth taking.
If Seattle doesn’t land him, there’s one odd footnote in the speed conversation: the Seahawks do have a player with a faster 10-yard split than Taylor. It’s not Velus Jones.
It’s Jalen Hurts. Maybe, if no trade for Taylor happens, Hurts could run a few plays out of the backfield.
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