'Everybody's on my list': New Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori ready to prove himself

Former South Carolina and new Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori burst onto the scene with his marks at the NFL Scouting Combine, vaulting up draft boards and quickly becoming ESPN's top-ranked safety in the 2025 NFL Draft. He was projected as a first-round pick by NFL.com.

Then the first round passed on Thursday night, and Emmanwori was still without an NFL home. Until the Seahawks, determined to land potentially a long-term starting safety for Mike Macdonald's defense, traded picks Nos. 52 and 82 to the Tennessee Titans in return for the No. 35 pick in the draft. Macdonald and general manager John Schneider knew Emmanwori wouldn't be on the board much longer.

"Everybody's on my list right now," Emmanwori said, per KOMO News sports director Niko Tamurian in reference to all the teams that passed on him.

South Carolina defensive back Nick Emmanwori (DB40) runs in the 40 yard dash. — Feb 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; South Carolina defensive back Nick Emmanwori (DB40) runs in the 40 yard dash during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Emmanwori, especially now that he's headed to Seattle, has been compared to former All-Pro and Super Bowl champion box safety Kam Chancellor. Chancellor, like Emmanwori, was a freak athlete in his prime and used that athleticism to become one of the most imposing defenders in all of football.

Chancellor and Emmanwori were also coached by Torrian Gray, South Carolina's defensive backs coach. Gray coached at Virginia Tech when Chancellor played there from 2006-09.

“Honestly, Kam Chancellor is one of my favorite safeties ever,” Emmanwori said, per The Tacoma News Tribune's Gregg Bell. “So it just means a lot going to Seattle. Used to watch him all the time on TV. Used to pull up his highlights before games."

Within the lens of Macdonald's defense, Emmanwori could fill the Kyle Hamilton-like role that Seattle's head coach employed with the Baltimore Ravens. Before drafting Emmanwori, the Seahawks lacked what could be a punishing box safety who also has coverage skills. Coverage is possibly Emmanwori's least-developed skill, but it's not a weakness.

Now entering Macdonald's system, Emmanwori said it "means a lot to me" that he will be able to fill a role in Seattle's defense, per Bell. He also said it was somewhat expected that the Seahawks may be the team to select him based on a "great" pre-draft visit with the team.

“So if it was, if it was anybody to do it, I knew it was gonna be them,” Emmanwori said of the Seahawks selecting him, per Bell.

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