Nick Emmanwori was a second-round draft pick for the Seattle Seahawks in 2025 because of his elite athleticism and potential to do many things well. Head coach Mike Macdonald might use him to play deep in coverage, for instance, or creep close to the line to help shut down the run.
Emmanwori's game was made to allow Macdonald to move him around and his disguise alignments. How much of an immediate impact he was going to have was unknown, just as it is unknown for every rookie. But Emmanwori seemed different and showed as much during training camp.
In Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, Emmanwori's NFL debut was cut short. He only saw four snaps, one of which was when the safety stopped 49ers star Christian McCaffrey for a two-yard loss, but then the safety hurt his ankle. He went into the locker room, came back out, and played once more on kickoff coverage, but then needed to leave the game.
Seattle Seahawks' Nick Emmanwori appears ready to return
Seattle didn't know right away how injured Emmanwori was, but this type of injury normally keeps a player out for at least a couple of weeks. For a player who relies on speed to be productive, the injury limits versatility and reps.
Unfortunately, Nick Emmanwori missed three games, but he has gotten some practice in during that time. Here is the very good news: Emmanwori has been a full participant ahead of Week 5's matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and should be able to play.
As Emmanwori was expected to be the Seahawks safety who gets, at worst, the third-most snaps this season behind Julian Love and Coby Bryant. In the rookie's absence, Ty Okada needed to take a lot of his reps. Seattle has also played with more three cornerbacks sets than Mike Macdonald likely wanted to.
While the news is good about Nick Emmanwori, Seattle Seahawks fans might be holding their breath a bit about Love (hamstring) and Devon Witherspoon (knee). Neither Love nor Witherspoon practiced on Wednesday or Thursday, even after having the mini-bye due to Seattle playing on Thursday Night Football in Week 4. The final injury report for Week 5 will be released on Friday afternoon.