Nick Emmanwori received the greatest honor of his young career today when he was named the NFL Rookie of the Week. The 21-year-old safety earned it for his play in Seattle’s 44-22 blowout victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10. He was all over the field, and the box score reflects the versatility that made him a coveted second-round pick. Emmanwori led the Seahawks with nine total tackles and four pass deflections and picked up his first sack (0.5) of the season.
“Nick [Emmanwori] had a great game,” head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters on Monday. “We’re moving him from two different spots right now and thinking about maybe another spot. There’s attention to detail on those things.”
In a frightening sentiment for the rest of the league, Macdonald said he sees ways Emmanwori can play even better.
“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, and there’s room for improvement,” Macdonald added. “I haven’t talked to him since we watched the tape, but it’s interesting to hear what he thinks about a couple of those plays where I think he can play a little bit better. To me right now, it’s a marginal game thing with Nick. How can I just keep chiseling away at my game like with Drake [Thomas], so I can just be that more decisive, that more anticipatory, play ahead of play is a little bit more, and then his talent will come to life.”
NFL Insider Offers High Praise
Emmanwori received another immense honor today, but this one came from Twitter. NFL Network Insider Brian Baldinger included Emmanwori in one of his regular film breakdowns. According to Baldy, Emmanwori reminds him of another lengthy, versatile, and highly talented safety: Baltimore’s Kyle Hamilton.
“You tell me which position Nick Emmanwori is playing,” Baldinger says to start the video. “Like, is he a linebacker? Is he a safety? Like, what is he? Sometimes I don’t know. All I know, he gets to the ball a lot. He covers a lot of ground. I mean, he is Mike Macdonald’s Kyle Hamilton. It’s exactly what he is. But he’s faster, and he’s more explosive.”
Hamilton may have been the exact archetype Seattle envisioned when selecting Emmanwori No. 35 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Hamilton, a 6-foot-4-inch Swiss army knife, can blitz off the edge, stuff the run, and defend the pass. He was a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 2023 and 2024. In August, Hamilton became the highest-paid safety in the league, signing a four-year, $100.4 million contract.
The Seahawks front office would be elated to one day pay Emmanwori a $100-million deal, as long as it meant his career panned out like Hamilton’s.
Emmanwori’s Unique Skill Set
Emmanwori started the season slowly. He played just four snaps in his Week 1 debut until a high-ankle sprain sidelined him until Week 5. Since returning from injury, the 6-foot-3-inch safety has become increasingly integral to Seattle’s stout defense, which is currently fifth-best in points per game allowed.
“You know, [Emmanwori] can cover,” Baldinger emphasizes in his video breakdown. “Here he is at dime linebacker, and he’s got Bam Knight out of the backfield, and he’s excellent. When he’s in man coverage, he’s really good because he’s so long and he’s so fast…I mean, he’s so versatile. You watch this guy’s stock rise.”
Despite missing multiple weeks, Emmanwori has made up significant ground in the race for Defense Rookie of the Year. He has the second-best odds on BetMGM, trailing the Cleveland Browns‘ Carson Schwesinger. In six games, Emmanwori has 32 tackles, four of which were for a loss, along with six pass deflections and a half sack.
“I think the game’s slowing down real well for me,” Emmanwori told reporters following his career-best performance on Sunday.
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