Seahawks' Nick Emmanwori Working on 'New Position' in Minicamp

Nick Emmanwori is trying to add to his pedigree in his second season with the Seattle Seahawks during the team's mandatory minicamp.

Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori speaks to the media after minicamp practice. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Seattle Seahawks defensive back Nick Emmanwori had about as good of a first year in the NFL as one could hope.

Emmanwori played a key role in the secondary for the Seahawks and finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger. His efforts helped the Seahawks become the top defense in the league en route to the franchise's second Super Bowl title.

The only thing better than one Super Bowl title is two. Emmanwori hopes to be able to do more to help the Seahawks reach that goal. He is even working with outside linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence to help boost his pass-rushing abilities.

"I'm just trying to evolve my game," Emmanwori said via team reporter John Boyle. "The NFL game is evolving, so I'm trying to be the frontrunner in leading that way. So I'm working with the edges, Law was out there giving me tips and trying to get me going in that lane."

Nick Emmanwori Sharpening Pass Rush Abilities

Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori against the New England Patriots. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It isn't completely out of the ordinary in today's NFL for safeties to double as linebackers in some passing situations, so Emmanwori is making himself more versatile. That's how one gets playing time on a defense with several excellent players.

The Seahawks pride themselves on versatility, especially on the defensive end, so Emmanwori is only going to get better by branching out towards other parts of the defense. Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV is excited to see what Emmanwori can bring to the table.

"Nick's a hell of a player," Jones said via Boyle. "Nick's got all of the tools and abilities that anybody in the world could ask for. Now the next step would be the classroom, just taking steps as far as knowing what plays are before him. Nick's a student of the game, Nick's been doing that, so I expect him to be dominant again."

Emmanwori is still only 22 years old and has a lot of potential to grow as a player in the NFL. The fact that he is immersing himself in other parts of the defense and placing himself in a position to continue to improve makes him a candidate to be one of the long-term building blocks of the Seahawks defense.

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