The Seahawks made a big move up on Day 2 of the NFL Draft, trading up to Pick No. 35 to select University of South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori.

In exchange for that pick, which was held by Tennessee, the Seahawks sent pick No. 52 in the second round and pick No. 82 in the third round to the Titans.

I was excited, “Emmanwori said on a conference call after getting picked. Genuinely, I’m happy they came and got me. I felt great when I went up there for the visit, talked to the coaches, had a great visit. I felt the most connected with them. So if it was anybody to do it, I knew it was going to be them.”

After making the pick, the Seahawks still hold Pick No. 50 in the second round and pick No. 92 in the third round, as well as five more picks on Day 3 of the draft.

Emmanwori, who is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, gives the Seahawks a rare combination of size and athleticism, having run a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine while posting a 43-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot, 6-inch broad jump.

And Emmanwori has the production to match those physical traits, having recorded a team-leading 88 tackles in 2024 as well as four interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns, and three tackles for loss. Emmanwori earned first-team Associated Press All-American honors last year, as well as first-team All-SEC honors.

Because of his size, Emmanwori has drawn comparisons to Seahawks Legend Kam Chancellor, and in fact, Emmanwori heard from Chancellor, via an Instagram direct message, during yesterday’s first round. Those two have never met, but they both played in college for current South Carolina defensive backs coach Torrian Gray, and Emmanwori is thrilled to be playing for the team where Chancellor helped turn the Legion of Boom into the league’s best secondary.

“Coach Gray coached him and he coached me, so Coach Gray used to tell me all the time that we have a lot of similarities, he used to compare our games a lot,” Emmanwori said. “Kam Chancellor is one of my favorite safeties ever, so it means a lot going to Seattle. I used to watch him all the time on TV, I used to pull up his highlights before games. It’s crazy.”