The Seattle Seahawks defense is aiming for a significant leap in Year 2 under head coach Mike Macdonald. There will be a few new faces, but all eyes are on rookie second-round pick Nick Emmanwori.
Emmanwori carries plenty of hype as the No. 35 overall pick in this year’s draft. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound defensive back is set to be a versatile piece in Macdonald’s defense, taking on a role similar to Kyle Hamilton when Macdonald was the defensive coordinator in Baltimore.
That hybrid safety/nickel/will linebacker-esque role has evolved over the years into a critical piece for NFL defenses as teams continue to utilize wide sets and 11 personnel. With Emmanwori’s skill set already flashing well this summer, if Seattle’s defense is as good as many believe it will be, the South Carolina product could be in for a monster rookie season.
Seahawks rookie draws dark horse Defensive Rookie of the Year prediction
The Athletic’s Jeff Howe made the claim that supports the buzz surrounding Emmanwori in Seattle, suggesting that he’s a dark horse to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
History isn’t on Emmanwori’s side to pick up Defensive Rookie of the Year, however. Only two players in the past 20 years have won the award without being a first-round pick: Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans and Shaquille Leonard. A safety hasn’t won the award since 1990, and five of the last six to win it were edge rushers.
Still, it’s not totally out of the realm of possibility with the growing importance of his position. After all, Macdonald certainly played his part in putting Hamilton in the right places to succeed there for the Ravens.
Naturally, Emmanwori has received more comparisons to Kam Chancellor than Hamilton, but the comp with Macdonald’s former chess piece might be more critical in this era of the game. After all, Hamilton is just as much in the conversation for NFL Defensive Player of the Year as anyone.
Hamilton and Emmanwori have similar builds (Hamilton is 6-foot-4, 218 pounds), but even Hamilton, as the 14th overall pick in his class, didn’t hit the ground running in Baltimore. He started just four games as a rookie before taking off in Years 2 and 3 with Macdonald calling the shots for the Ravens' defense.
Comparing their collegiate time, Emmanwori proved to be more effective against the run, while Hamilton was more effective against the pass. Of course, in the NFL, Hamilton has proven to be quite efficient in both regards for the Ravens these days.
Emmanwori will have to flash early and often to get into the DROY conversation in earnest. He didn’t play a ton this preseason and finished with just three tackles. Still, seemingly every report from the practice field this summer featured glowing reviews of his football instincts and IQ, and a knack for making splash plays.
Until the 2025 season finally kicks off, Seahawks fans can rest on his gaudy rookie stats at South Carolina to carry them through until he’s making the plays on Sundays. He racked up 244 total tackles, picked off six passes, took two to the house, deflected 11 passes, and forced a fumble in three seasons with the Gamecocks.