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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – NOVEMBER 09: Trey McBride #85 of the Arizona Cardinals runs against Nick Emmanwori #3 of the Seattle Seahawks in the second quarter of a game at Lumen Field on November 09, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
After winning week 10’s Rookie of the Week Award, Seahawks defensive back Nick Emmanwori recently found himself in conversations surrounding another accolade. The 21-year-old was named a top candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year, thanks to his impressive display on Seattle’s Defense.
Emmanwori offers a much needed versatility to the Seahawks defense, as seen in their dominant show against the Arizona Cardinals in week 10. The 44-22 win was, in large part, due to the defense overwhelming the Cardinals for most of the game. A breakout game for Emmanwori, one that allowed him to spread his wings.
Emmanwori’s Versatility on the Field
With a 6-foot-3 height and 220 pound build, Emmanwori’s opportunities on the field are ever-growing. Following his nine tackles, four passes defensed, and his first career half-sack against the Cardinals, Mike Macdonald commented on the rookie during a press-conference, stating,
“Nick had a great game, we’re moving him from two different spots right now and thinking about maybe another spot. There’s attention to detail on those things. It’s easy to call a lot of the things that we’re putting him into because you have a lot of confidence in him being able to execute those things.”
Despite an ankle injury in the first defensive drive of the season, Emmanwori has made moves since his week 5 return. Primarily playing as nickel while filling multiple other roles as needed is no easy task, but to Emmanwori it seems second nature. In Thursday’s Seahawks Press Pass, defensive coordinator Aden Durde spoke on Emmanwori, stating,
“He’s an exciting player to coach, he understands the level of work you have to put in to do the unique things that he does. He can do things in the game at every level of the defense, and you think that’s really cool and that’s exciting, but that takes a lot of work. That takes a lot of work to understand how to play with technique on the first level, understand how to have all your keys and your run keys and your pass keys on the second level, all the adjustments, and then on the third level, your technique and understanding your adjustments there.”
Seattle’s Defense
Prior to his role as head coach in Seattle, Mike Macdonald was a defensive coordinator, and a good one at that. Following his introduction to Seattle, he spoke on his ideas for the team, stating,
“It’s adaptable, but we’re always going to be aggressive in how we want to do it, people ask about our blitz rates and all that, that’s not important to me; it’s about putting yourself in positions to win the down, affecting the quarterback, putting your guys in position to have success.”
Macdonald’s long-term goal for a successful Seattle defense begins with flexibility, something he made clear before the season even began, and a word that Emmanwori definitely embodies.
With the upcoming week 11 face-off against the Los Angeles Rams, the recognition of Emmanwori’s first year comes at an ideal time. With both teams tied for first in the NFC West with a 7-2 record, the matchup is sure to be tough, and luckily for Seattle, they have Emmanwori on their side.
Sydney Jones Sydney Jones is a sports writer covering all things Golf, Mariners, and Seahawks for Heavy.com. She has experience covering the intersection of sports and human interest stories for multiple publications. Originally from Montana, she recently relocated to Seattle and is enjoying the new experience of being surrounding by live professional sports and rooting for a common team while writing about them. More about Sydney Jones
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