Kenneth Walker III Combine Profile

The Combine Numbers

Walker measured 5-foot-9¼ and 211 pounds at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, with a 9½-inch hand. He ran the 40 in 4.38 seconds, then added a 34-inch vertical and a 10-foot-2-inch broad jump. He skipped the three-cone drill. Coming off a junior season at Michigan State with 1,725 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns, he went to Seattle in the second round, 41st overall.

On their own, the jumps are solid rather than spectacular. The 40 is the number that matters, and it matters because of the weight attached to it. A 4.38 from a 190-pound receiver is fast. A 4.38 from a 211-pound running back is a different kind of problem for a defense.

Why weight changes what a 40 time means

Scouts use a simple formula called speed score to put a 40 time in context: weight × 200, divided by the 40 time raised to the fourth power. It rewards big backs who still run fast. Roughly 100 is average for a running back prospect, and anything above 110 is considered elite.

For a frame of reference, the 2026 combine class was the fastest on record, and its running backs still averaged 4.45 seconds. Walker's 4.38 from four years earlier beats that average by seven hundredths, while carrying more mass than most backs in that class.

The Record Start in Kansas City

Kansas City signed Walker in March to a three-year deal worth up to $45 million, weeks after he was named Super Bowl LX MVP. He ran for 135 yards on 27 carries in Seattle's 29-13 win over New England, the first running back to win the award since Terrell Davis. The Chiefs needed him: they finished 25th in rushing in 2025 during a 6-11 season, and their third-leading rusher was Patrick Mahomes.

Five games in, here's where Walker stands:

Those 665 yards are the most in NFL history by a player through his first five games with a new team, per ESPN. The Chiefs also note he's one of only four players ever to reach 660 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns through a team's first five games. The other three are Terrell Davis, Jim Brown and O.J. Simpson. His most recent outing, a 22-6 win over the Chargers, was a 19-carry, 128-yard, two-touchdown game that included a 33-yard score in the first quarter.

Where the Combine Shows Up: Yards After Contact

The single most telling number in Walker's season is 369 yards after contact, about 55% of his rushing total. More than half of what he gains comes after a defender has already touched him. Add the league-leading 52 broken tackles and the pattern is clear.

That's what a high speed score looks like on the field. Momentum is mass times velocity, and Walker brings both. A 4.38 over 40 yards is an average of roughly 8.4 meters per second, and his peak speed is higher than that. Pair that with 211 pounds and an arm tackle from a defensive back is often not enough to stop the play. The weight is what keeps him upright through contact; the speed is what turns a broken tackle into a 20-yard gain instead of a 4-yard one.

Next Up: His Old Team on Sunday Night

Week 7 sends the undefeated Chiefs to Seattle on Sunday Night Football, putting Walker across from the franchise he rushed for 3,555 yards and 29 touchdowns with over four seasons. It's also his toughest test yet: Seattle's defense leads the NFL in yards allowed per play. If Walker's yards-after-contact rate holds up against that front, it will say more about the durability of this start than any game so far.

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