The Seattle Seahawks surprisingly needed a spark in the second half of Week 10. After jumping out to a 28-0 lead and eventually 38-7, Seattle's offense kept turning the ball over in the third quarter, keeping the defense on the field. The Arizona Cardinals scored just one touchdown, though.
While the overall unit was great again, and it stunningly needed to be in the second half after the team jumped out to such a huge lead, rookie Nick Emmanwori was a big reason why. He was seemingly everywhere. He covered well, got quarterback pressure on blitzes, and stuffed the run.
He was the versatile and disruptive defensive back that Seattle thought it was getting when the team moved up 16 spots in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft to choose him. Many thought the 6'3" and 220-pound safety would go in the first round because of his speed and athleticism, but it was the Seahawks who saw his real value.
Nick Emmanwori proves how valuable he is for the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10
Against Arizona, Emmanwori had a team-leading nine tackles, a half sack, a quarterback hit, and four passes defended. Head coach Mike Macdonald was able to move him around in his alignments, which allowed other plays to move from pre-snap to snap.
In other words, he was all the team hoped he would be in Macdonald's system, one that is at its best when it disguises looks. It needs players such as Nick Emmanwori to do that.
The rookie is playing as if he has been in the NFL for multiple years, which is even more impressive since he only played four snaps in Week 1 before suffering an ankle injury. He missed the next three games.
He also had an injury scare in Week 10. In the fourth quarter, he landed on his left wrist and appeared to be in great pain. He left the game, but was able to come back in.
It might be odd that a rookie who has only played five games would have such an effect on what Mike Macdonald wants to do with his defense, but that is why Emmanwori was drafted high in the second round. He is a true difference-maker, and he is just beginning to realize how good he can be.