The Seattle Seahawks landed a true superstar in Nick Emmanwori. A second-round pick in 2025, he played an instrumental role in their Super Bowl run, looking like a veteran right out of the gate and --wrongfully -- finishing second for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
However, the South Carolina product couldn't do as much as he'd wanted early on in the season. A high-ankle sprain cost him three games, and while he picked up things right where he left them, he's looking at playing all 17 games in year two.
More than that, Emmanwori wants to use the offseason to round up his game. While he's already a star in coverage and against the run, he wants to be deadlier coming out of the edge, and he's already found the perfect mentor for that.
Nick Emmanwori is working out with the Seattle Seahawks' edge rushers
“I’m just trying to evolve my game,” Emmanwori told the media at mandatory minicamp. “The NFL game is evolving, so I’m trying to be the frontrunner in leading that way. So I’m working with the edges, [DeMarcus Lawrence] was out there giving me tips and trying to get me going in that lane.”
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Emmanwori played 944 total defensive snaps as a rookie. The bulk of his snaps came at slot corner (449) and in the box (359), with just 113 snaps along the edge. Even so, he managed to log four QB hits and 2.5 sacks. Still, his 65.2 pass-rush grade was rather average, ranking 45th among 98 strong safeties.
Emmanwori's versatility allowed head coach Mike Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde to throw so many different looks at opposing teams. His abilities in coverage and outstanding play against the run made him the ultimate wild card, someone who was pretty much impossible to leave off the field.
Now, with an improved pass-rushing arsenal, the sky should be the limit for him in year two. The Seahawks are stacked in that department and often rotate their headhunters to show different looks and disguises, so he has plenty of different mentors to pick their brains and add more juice to his repertoire.
Emmanwori would've probably gone in the first round in a re-draft, and he's challenging the narrative around safeties as impact players. The Seahawks' modern defense is all about versatility and deception, and having players who can do a little bit of everything will be more crucial now than ever.
He may not be the first of his kind, but Emmanwori can still be a trailblazer in the modern era. Specialists and one-dimensional players will become outdated soon, and while Emmanwori is looking to add a bit of DeMarcus Lawrence to his game, it won't be long before young safeties are watching Nick Emmanwori tape in hopes of making it to the league.
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