What Seattle Seahawks rookie Nick Emmanwori said about his NFL legacy

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider has a really strong case to win his first NFL Executive of the Year award for the fine work he did in 2025. Practically every button that Schneider pushed this past offseason turned out to be the right call - even if some of them were controversial.

At the top, Sam Darnold proved to be a big upgrade over Geno Smith - proving Tom Brady wrong about that calculation. Tyler Lockett was also clearly past any usefulness and cutting him was sensible.

The most-questionable move Schneider made was trading star wide receiver DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, the ascent of Jaxon Smith-Njigba into a legitimate superstar took a lot of the sting out of that trade, Meanwhile, the second-round pick that they got back from Pittsburgh has turned into a gold mine in the form of rookie DB Nick Emmanwori.

After missing all but a handful of snaps the first month of the season, Emmanwori hit the NFL like a meteor in October, and has been making more and more impactful plays ever since.

Emmanwori is already one of the most versatile and disruptive defenders in the league at any position, not just a for a rookie. He has set his sights pretty high, as well. Here's what he told B/R insider Jordan Schultz about his goals.

I asked #Seahawks star rookie Nick Emmanwori what he wants his legacy to be:

“I want to be one of the all-time greats. For my skill set, what I can do, it hasn’t been seen in the NFL before. I’m shooting for a gold jacket.”

How did this man fall to the 2nd round?! pic.twitter.com/UsaLgwT7Jp
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 7, 2026

What stands out most about Emmanwori's game is a lack of weaknesses. A lot of talented rookies come into the league and struggle tackling or against the run - or they have trouble getting to the quarterback or dropping back into coverage.

So far, Emmanwori has proven he can do all of those things at a high level, giving Mike Macdonald's defense a remarkably versatile weapon. Here's how Emmanwori has graded out so far in the NFL.

Nick Emmanwori PFF grades

- 14 games

- 71.6 overall grade

- 65.2 pass rush grade

- 72.4 run defense grade

- 70.2 coverage grade

This has translated into smash plays in every conceivable way a modern defender can impact the game. That includes 2.5 sacks, 11 pass breakups and eight tackles for a loss.

It's a long way between now and Emmanwori's eventual retirement - but if he stays healthy and keeps growing his game his Hall of Fame hopes are not going to be unreasonable.

Nick Emmanwori PFF grades

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