Seahawks land 2 rising stars on ESPN's All-Rookie Team

With Saturday night's showdown against the San Francisco 49ers looming, followed by the NFC Playoffs, the current state of the Seattle Seahawks is compelling. According to ESPN's All-Rookie team, so is the long-term future.

Not surprising to the 12s, both Seahawks' stars Grey Zabel and Nick Emmanwori made the team. They are big reasons Seattle is 13-3 and headed into Week 18 with a chance to win the NFC West and become the No. 1 seed throughout the conference playoffs.

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The No. 1 overall pick in last April's NFL Draft - Cam Ward of the Tennessee Titans - was ESPN's pick at quarterback. But Seattle landed a player on both offense and defense.

S Nick Emmanwori

Drafted 35th overall in the second round, he's made all over the field and even blocked a field goal in the win over the Atlanta Falcons. He has an interception, 11 passes defensed and 2.5 sacks.

Says ESPN:

"For as fun of a debut season as it has been, Emmanwori gets billed as a fusion between Kam Chancellor and Kyle Hamilton, which is a little too rich for my blood. But he is a highly disruptive player with length, closing speed and a nose for the football. He rarely misses tackles given his length and play strength, and he can rip through blocks to produce behind the line of scrimmage as well. On blitzes, Emmanwori is a true playmaker who must be accounted for at all times."

OL Grey Zabel

Selected 18th overall, he has been a foundational piece on the offensive line since Day 1 of training camp. With eye-popping win rates of 89.2% (passing) and 83.1% (running), he's made Seahawks' general manager John Schneider look like a genius.

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Writes ESPN:

"Zabel would be the overall No. 1 offensive lineman on this All-Rookie team if positions were removed from the equation. He has been a little less consistent since his Week 11 knee injury, but his steadiness in pass protection before the injury looked like that of a 10-year veteran. Zabel has rarely been beat clean this season, and when it has happened, it has been by some of the league's best. If Zabel had the name recognition of a vet, he would have been a Pro Bowler this season."

Nick Emmanwori | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

S Nick Emmanwori

OL Grey Zabel

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