Andrew Buller-Russ
What Mike Macdonald has managed to do since taking over as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks in 2024 is nothing short of spectacular. He took over a defense that ranked 25th in points allowed under Pete Carroll’s Seahawks, and immediately improved it to 11th in points allowed in his first season as head coach. Last year, Macdonald’s defense took an even bigger leap, allowing the fewest points in football.
It’s safe to say this 39-year-old head coach knows what he’s doing when it comes to scheming up the right plays and calling them at the right time. He’s also mastered the art of putting players in the right position to succeed. Of course, Seahawks general manager John Schneider has also done a fine job injecting more talent across Seattle’s defense, and Macdonald has been able to maximize their potential.
One of the key players on Seattle’s defense thrived as a rookie, but a football executive from another team still believes there’s room for improvement. Considering the Seahawks already won the Super Bowl, opportunities for growth should be welcomed with open arms.
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Seahawks Safety Criticized for Being One-Dimensional
ESPN has been surveying NFL executives, coaches, and scouts, ranking the best players at each position. The results have been filtering in, on Thursday, the safeties were unveiled.
Even though he was a rookie last season, Nick Emmanwori was good enough to rank as the NFL’s sixth-best safety right now. Considering he had a key hand in their Super Bowl success, it’s not a huge surprise.
Obviously, landing in the top 10 is an honor that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Yet, one anonymous AFC executive also had some criticism for the 22-year-old defensive back.
“However, one AFC executive countered that Emmanwori has ‘one-trick pony’ to his game because he doesn’t play as well going backward as some of the top safeties.”
via ESPN’s Survey on Top Safeties on Nick Emmanwori
To be fair, Emmanwori is not built like your average defensive back; he’s more like a linebacker at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. Yet, his impressive height also makes him a bit of a special weapon in pass coverage, where he’s able to tower over smaller receivers and outmuscle them. He’s already a natural at blowing up plays in the backfield, recording nine tackles for loss and four QB hits in 2025.
Yet, the key for Emmanwori, in the mind of one AFC executive, will be finding a way to improve his agility so that he can make more plays in coverage. Nevertheless, the version the Seahawks got from the 35th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft was excellent.
To think he could be that impactful as a first-year pro makes one wonder what he’ll be capable of as a seasoned veteran when his instincts and awareness are in peak form. That’s a prospect Seahawks fans should be excited about, and likely one Emmanwori’s opponents fear.
