Seattle Seahawks' rookie defensive back Nick Emmanwori has made waves all season long on one of the NFL's most dangerous and elite defensive groups. The Seahawks have consistently ranked among the top 10 defenses all season, and their relentless linebackers have played a major role.
DeMarcus Lawrence, Ernest Jones IV, Drake Thomas, and Byron Murphy III, just to name a few, have collectively held the Seahawks' defensive backfield in place like a massive brick wall, and they're vaunted because of it.
But if you expected Emmanwori to burst onto the scene in the manner that he has in his rookie season, congratulations to you; you can see the future. Emmanwori has been electric this year, and pivotal to Seattle's success, and it's no surprise he's in the running for a major year-end award.
Seattle Seahawks' Nick Emmanwori ranks 2nd in FanDuel's DROY odds
The only rookie slated higher than Emmanwori is Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger. The Californian native deserves his flowers for what he's accomplished this season, especially with a team that has suffered nothing but on and off-field turmoil from day one. If Schwesinger ends up securing and capturing the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year award, there's not much to argue against it.
What Emmanwori has in his favor is simply time. Seattle has three games left on their schedule this season, which means Emmanwori has exactly that much time to sway the minds of anyone privileged to have a say in the ROTY award.
According to FanDuel, Emmanwori is listed at +550 behind Schwesinger. According to many top sportsbooks, the Seahawks' rookie has made significant ground lately and is right on the cusp of challenging his Browns counterpart.
Emmanwori's statistical contributions speak for themselves, too, so there's no surprise he's in the running. In 12 games this season, Emmanwori has tallied 70 tackles (50 solo), 2.5 sacks, and one interception. He's also defended 11 passes, which shows he has a knack for following the opposing quarterback and getting his arms up in the air at the right time.
It's not just his stats that are in his favor; Emmanwori is playing on one of the best defenses in the NFL and one of the best teams, period, and that has surely helped his candidacy. Seattle's 12-3 record is helped by its defense, and Emmanwori has been right in the middle of it.
What he did in Seattle's rematch against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16 could do much more to elevate his odds, considering that the game had many important factors that could determine division and playoff positioning. It's the Seahawks' biggest game of the year, and Emmanwori was a bit of everywhere, per usual.