Back when Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald was the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator, he had a do-everything chess piece in All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton.
Seahawks NFL Draft Tracker: Keep up on every pick and trade
Could South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori emerge as the Seahawks’ version of Hamilton?
The Seahawks certainly think highly of Emmanwori, as they showed by moving up in the second round of the NFL Draft to select the ultra-talented playmaker at No. 35 overall on Friday night.
Seattle reportedly considered Emmanwori in the first round at No. 18, according to NFL Network’s Albert Breer. Instead, the Seahawks took North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel at that spot. But when Emmanwori slipped into the second round, Seattle sent its No. 52 and 82 overall picks to Tennessee to grab the top-ranked safety in this year’s draft.
“If Zabel was off the board, I was hoping they would grab this young man at 18,” Seahawks Radio Network analyst and former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus said. “But the fact they were willing to trade up for him just lets you know exactly how special he is.”
The next Kam Chancellor?
Emmanwori has drawn comparisons to legendary former Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor.
It’s easy to see why.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Emmanwori sports a rare level of size, talent and athleticism, which he put on display with an eye-catching performance at the NFL combine.
Emmanwori led all players at the combine with a 43-inch vertical jump, which was tied for the fourth-best mark by a safety in combine history. He also ranked second among safeties with a 4.38-second time in the 40-yard dash. According to ESPN Research, that made him one of just four players at 6 foot 3 or taller since 2003 to top 40 inches in the vertical jump and run the 40-yard dash in under 4.4 seconds.
Emmanwori showcased those elite traits the past two seasons at South Carolina, where he filled up the stat sheet as a big-time playmaker for the Gamecocks. In 2024, he totaled four interceptions, two pick-sixes, two pass breakups and three tackles for loss. And in 2023, he had two interceptions and eight pass breakups.
“He’s kind of a Swiss Army knife,” Seahawks Radio Network analyst and former NFL offensive lineman Ray Roberts said. “He’s a dude that can do all the things a defensive back needs to do – cover, tackle and make a play on the ball.”
How Emmanwori fits in Macdonald’s defense
Emmanwori showed a unique level of versatility while moving all over the field in South Carolina’s defense. According to ESPN Research via ESPN’s Brady Henderson, Emmanwori was one of just three FBS players this past season with at least 300 snaps at safety, 100 snaps at slot corner, 100 snaps at outside linebacker and 100 snaps at inside linebacker.
“He’s capable of playing over the top, inside the box or even matching up with pass-catching tight ends,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote in Emmanwori’s scouting report.
That makes him a perfect match for Macdonald’s scheme, which places an emphasis on positional flexibility.
Emmanwori adds even more talent to an already-strong safety group featuring Julian Love and Coby Bryant. Macdonald frequently employs three-safety sets, so Emmanwori opens up all sorts of options for the second-year head coach.
“Now you’ve got J-Love, you have Coby Bryant back there, you’ve got Emmanwori as well – a guy who I feel like you can play in the box a bit more than Coby and J-Love,” Bumpus said. “I like what’s happening in the secondary. … This allows Mike Macdonald to call the type of game that he wants to call.”
Seattle Seahawks and the NFL Draft
• Seattle Seahawks draft Miami TE Elijah Arroyo at No. 50
• Seahawks trade up to draft South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori
• 5 additional things to know about Seattle Seahawks’ top pick Grey Zabel
• Stacy Rost: What does top pick Grey Zabel bring to Seattle Seahawks?
• Seattle Seahawks Draft Reaction: Brock and Bump on Grey Zabel
