Kenneth Walker was a running back for Michigan State, who was in the Heisman conversation most of the 2021 season. He was arguably the best running back this season and now has entered the 2022 NFL Draft. Walker is my RB1, lets hop into the scouting report to find out why.
Strengths: Kenneth Walker was a playmaker at running back for Michigan State Spartans in 2021. He is a threat to score on every touch- look no further than his 95 yard touchdown run against Rutgers. Walker is a compact runner, standing at 5’10 210 lbs. Walker is a very explosive player with great acceleration. At times it looks like he is shot out of a cannon. He displays a great ability to accelerate out of his cuts, often causing tacklers to miss. He has good speed, with the ability to outrun almost anyone on the field when he gets going. Walker has great vision and patience in the backfield as he often bounces runs outside to another hole when the initial holes are not there. He is quick, and does a great job getting to the edge and turning the corner before the defense can get their hands on him. Walker explodes out of the hole. Once in space, Walker is dangerous. In the open field he is very slippery and shows some great moves that make tacklers miss, whether it is his spin moves, stiff arms, or his elite cut back ability. He is extremely shifty in space and shows great balance, especially when it comes to his contact balance. He often bounces off tackles without missing a beat. Walker shows great effort while running with the ball; he fights for every last yard, and can get skinny and get the tough yards when asked. Walker is not afraid of contact, as he will drop his shoulder along the sideline and take on tacklers with excitement. Walker is most dangerous with a running start from 5 to 6 yards deep in the backfield so he hits his holes at full speed. Although he doesn’t run a lot of routes, he has reliable hands out of the backfield and has the athleticism to improve on his route tree.
Weaknesses: Kenneth Walker’s biggest weaknesses come in the passing game. He lacks a true route tree as he has only been asked to run a limited variety of routes in his collegiate career. While that doesn’t mean he won’t be able to run routes in the NFL, it will at least be a learning curve for him and he may not be as good of a route runner as one would hope. He also struggles in the pass blocking game. He lacks the technique needed to be an effective pass blocker at the NFL level. Often, when asked to pass block he attempts a chop block. Many RBs struggle with pass blocking at the collegiate level and improve after receiving NFL coaching. Because he does show effort while pass blocking I have confidence that he will improve at his pass blocking ability. Although he is good when it comes to breaking tackles, he isn’t a very physically imposing back. Although people may be concerned with his touches, he totals about 500 career touches, so I don’t think it is a concern.
Bottom Line: Kenneth Walker is a very good running back prospect. As a true runner, there isn’t much more you could ask for. He has great explosiveness, is a threat for a home run every time he touches the ball, and is elusive. His concerns come in the passing game, and may prevent him from being a 3 down back from the start. The combine will be telling in regards to his route running ability, and I’d expect him to become a better pass blocker with NFL coaching. I expect Walker to develop into a very good three down back in the NFL.
Grade: 2.0
