Mike Macdonald Makes Feelings Clear on Seahawks Rookie DB

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald made his stance clear on rookie defensive back Nick Emmanwori. 

“We’re asking him to play two positions,” Macdonald said after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Arizona Cardinals 44-22.  “We can start to add responsibility for him. He’s learning that as well. He’s doing a great job. He’s executing at a high level. He’s being decisive. He’s playing with anticipation, which is a positive. We’ll continue to build with him, and his approach has been great. For a rookie, he’s having success.”

The decision to split Emmanwori across spots has less to do with need than fit. Seattle values length, range and trigger in its secondary, and Emmanwori is checking boxes early. Macdonald’s emphasis on anticipation and decisiveness underscores how quickly the second-round pick is processing the scheme.

Nick Emmanwori’s Best Game Yet: 9 Tackles, 1st Sack

GettySeattle rookie DB Nick Emmanwori is becoming a bigger part of the defense each week.

Production followed the praise. Emmanwori led Seattle with nine total tackles, including five solo, and added four pass deflections and one quarterback hit. He also recorded a half-sack – his first sack in the NFL – during what he called his fourth full game of action. “I think the game is slowing down really well for me,” Emmanwori said. “This was my fourth full game. I’m seeing a lot of similarities.”

Emmanwori has appeared in six games this season, but according to Pro Football Reference his snap counts have varied. As he alluded, Emmanwori appeared in only 5.3% of snaps in Seattle’s Week 1 loss to San Francisco, and only 63.9% percent of defensive snaps in Seattle’s loss to Tampa Bay on October 5. Since then, he’s appeared in at least 88% of snaps in games he’s played. Coincidentally, the Seahawks are 4-0 in that time period. 

The rookie admitted he hoped the sack would have come a week earlier. “First sack — that felt good. I was hoping I’d get it last week. It was real close,” he said with a grin.

This stat line marks his most complete outing since his highest tackle total earlier this season, which came in Seattle’s 20-12 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6 . The common thread: alignment flexibility and a rush-and-cover marriage that’s becoming a defensive calling card.

‘Standard’ & Mindset Fuel Secondary’s Surge

Emmanwori framed the performance as a reflection of a larger standard inside the room. “That’s the standard we hold ourselves to. Every practice, every day we go in there — we don’t want to let that standard slip,” he said. “We have a mindset as the secondary to rush and cover.”

Seattle’s defense delivered on that identity with two defensive touchdowns in the game and widespread contributions. “We have super fun. It’s a lot of fun. Two touchdowns on defense, same sacks by the same two guys, score 14 points — we were trying to get 21. Dudes stepping up in different roles,” Emmanwori said.

The rookie also noted he briefly had his wrist checked after contact, exiting the game for a short period of time. “It was a little banged up. I think he just ran into my wrist. It was a little painful. It was checked out. I’m good,” he said.

For Macdonald, the blueprint is straightforward: keep adding to Emmanwori’s plate as he nails the details. For Emmanwori, the mission is the same every week—play fast, meet the standard and let the production follow. “It’s the style that nobody wants to play. We pride ourselves on that every week,” he said. “Whoever is on the field, just go out and dominate.”

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