The Seattle Seahawks made history Thursday.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Seahawks became the first team in NFL history to give a fully guaranteed contract to the No. 35 pick when they signed second-round pick Nick Emmanwori to a four-year, $11.6 million deal.
Emmanwori, a safety from South Carolina, was the third pick of the second round when Seattle traded up with the Tennessee Titans to select him.
Emmanwori became the third second-round pick to negotiate a fully guaranteed contract, with No. 33 pick Carson Schwesinger and No. 34 selection Jayden Higgins each also collecting fully guaranteed four-year contracts with the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans respectively.
Why Did Nick Emmanwori Get a Fully Guaranteed Contract?
Second-round selections have been holding out for fully guaranteed deals after Higgins initially received a fully guaranteed deal with the Texans in the spring.
Teams have balked at 100 percent deals with their second-round selections, though first-round picks have been receiving fully guaranteed deals for years. The result has been a rash of unsigned second-round selections mere days before NFL training camps open around the country.
But Emmanwori, the 6-3 safety who was a top-20 prospect, the No. 1 safety in the 2025 draft and projected to be selected in the first round per ESPN, had the credentials — and the draft slot — to collect a fully guaranteed contract.
The Seahawks also viewed Emmanwori as a first-round prospect, since general manager John Schneider reportedly pondered trading back into the first round — after Seattle selected guard Grey Zabel from North Dakota State at pick No. 18.
So even though they waited until one of the final days of the off-season, Schneider and Seahawks brass finally relented and gave him his fully guaranteed contract.
What Does Nick Emmanwori’s Contract Mean For Other Second-Round Picks?
That the first three picks of the second round have all received fully guaranteed contracts is a great development for other second-round selections, who are also seeing their allotment of guaranteed money rise.
By comparison, Keon Coleman, a wide receiver selected by the Buffalo Bills with the first pick of the second round (No. 33) received just 95 percent guaranteed money in his rookie deal. The No. 35 pick, Los Angeles Chargers wideout Ladd McConkey, received just 92 percent guarantees of his contract.
But Emmanwori may also be the final second-round pick with a fully guaranteed deal, though not necessarily due to the trend. Picked fourth in the second round was Quinshon Judkins of the Browns, who was recently arrested for allegedly punching a woman at Fort Lauderdale Airport.
Judkins does not have a contract and will not report to Browns training camp on time since Cleveland told him to focus on his legal issues. But any chance of him landing a fully guaranteed contract, and furthering the trend set by Emmanwori, is likely out the window.
Where Will Nick Emmanwori Play For The Seahawks?
Emmanwori may have been given a first-round grade, and the Seahawks may have selected him due to their need for safety help. But don’t expect him to be a starter Day 1.
“Emmanwori should play extensively early on, but it may be as the third safety as opposed to an every-down starting role,” ESPN Seahawks writer Brady Henderson wrote in April.
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