Is Jadarian Price the Next Travis Etienne? 2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report & SPS Grade

Updated May 7, 2026

Travis Etienne was the 25th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Clemson, taken by Jacksonville to be the spark that complemented James Robinson and eventually become the Jaguars’ lead back. The Seattle Seahawks just selected Jadarian Price with the No. 32 overall pick in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft. The 5’11”, 203-pound back ran a 4.49 at the Combine, averaged over 35 yards per kickoff return with 3 career return touchdowns at Notre Dame, and produced a class-leading Missed Tackles Forced Per Touch of 30%. Now that the Round 1 capital is on the table and the landing spot is set, the Etienne comp is no longer a hypothetical. It is a measurable trajectory.

Price played in the shadow of an elite teammate (Jeremiyah Love) during his time at Notre Dame. That shared backfield limited his pure volume numbers, but scouts who dug into his film came away impressed by what he produced with limited touches. The Seahawks just paid for that film with the final pick of the first round. But will Price’s analytics share the same sentiment as those film analysts? Further, will he score high enough to make the top 10 all-time RB SPS list?

The Film Breakdown: Pros & Cons

We all should be looking at both film and analytics as we know they go hand-in-hand. The following consensus film critiques are derived from looks into Price’s game film. These highlight the positive and negative traits Seattle just bought into with a Round 1 pick:

The Pros (The “Elite” Upside)

• Quick-Footed With Lateral Agility: Public scouting reports highlight Price as quick-footed with lateral agility. Further, he has the elite-level vision to exploit unoccupied lanes. (Bleacher Report)
• Vision and Spatial Instincts Beyond His Age: Scouting reports also indicate Price has great vision, in particular the back-end of 2025 where he grew more confident. PFF graded him 9/10 for balance and play through contact and 9/10 for mentality, fight, and effort. Those are the kind of intangibles that can hold up in a 17-game NFL season. (PFF)
• Special Teams Elite – The Best Kick Returner in College Football: Last Word On Sports expresses that he could be a good kick returner as he continues his development as a Running Back. (Last Word on Sports)

The Cons (The Refinement Needs)

• Limited Volume Sample at Notre Dame: Price’s 3 fumbles on 113 carries is a major concern. He must prioritize ball security in the NFL. Further, Bleacher Report points out how he becomes a downhill runner when in short-yardage situations as a weakness. (Bleacher Report)
• Limited Receiving Upside: Price’s college career featured limited receiving work, having only 15 receptions for 162 yards and 3 touchdowns. Further, when in pass protection he needs to keep his eyes up and feet moving. (PFF)

For dynasty managers, the Etienne comparison is now head-to-head with their draft capital aligned. Etienne went to Jacksonville at Pick 25 in 2021 and stepped into a backfield where James Robinson had just produced a 1,000-yard rookie season. Price arrives in Seattle at Pick 32 with a much cleaner runway: Zach Charbonnet is recovering from a torn ACL, Kenneth Walker is gone, and Price is already listed as the No. 2 RB on Seattle’s depth chart with a path to the long-term no.1 role if Charonnet doesn’t produce and Price does. The fantasy ceiling – per some film analysts – is the same Etienne archetype – explosive, return-game-eligible, three-down upside if the receiving game develops. This time, the Year-1 opportunity is much cleaner than what Etienne walked into in Jacksonville.

What Is Jadarian Price’s SPS Grade?

For those of you who aren’t familiar, The Star-Predictor Score (SPS) is a scouting tool designed to maximize investment potential and reduce risks when drafting rookies in Fantasy Football. It is proven to have a higher accuracy than draft capital alone to predict fantasy football success. The SPS includes 13 to 17 metrics, with the exact number varying by the player’s position. All metrics are pre-NFL – and some are proprietary to BrainyBallers – providing a complete analysis of a player’s analytical profile. The SPS gained widespread notoriety for its high accuracy, having made it on Barstool and The Pat McAfee Show. The SPS database can be found here, and future projected SPS grades can be unlocked here.

As the Pat McAfee crew noted when reviewing our top 10 all-time prospects graphic: “They haven’t missed… those are all the guys they predicted would be stars and they hit on all of them.” 

The Verdict

The Verdict

Can Jadarian Price’s path lead him from “overshadowed teammate” to featured NFL back, now that Seattle has staked pick 32 on him? The film points to real upside. The landing spot – a backfield with a clear vacancy at the top, a Round 1 commitment, and a Day-1 special-teams role – is undeniable. The Star-Predictor Score measures the 13-17 pre-NFL metrics that separate dynasty RB1s from dynasty RB3s, independent of all subjectivity. The answer to where Price’s official SPS grade falls is one click away. Is his profile built for the long haul?