Mike Macdonald's defensive brilliance should pair perfectly with new Seahawks DB

Mike Macdonald's playcall brought out the best in Nick Emmanwori.

Dec 8, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Mike Macdonald was one of the best defensive coordinators in football before being named the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. He was seen as someone on the cutting edge of defensive schematics, a brilliant coordinator who just knew defense better than most.

Even as a head coach tasked with much more, that remains true. His defense was elite in 2024, and it's going to be good again in 2025. And early on in camp, fans got a glimpse of how good his defense can be when utilizing second-round rookie Nick Emmanwori.

Mike Macdonald's scheme leads directly to brilliant play

On Monday, Nick Emmanwori made a brilliant interception of fellow rookie Jalen Milroe, returing it for a touchdown and making one of the highlights of the first few days of training camp. It wasn't all Emmanwori, though.

Rookies Nick Emmanwori—and Jalen Milroe—learn how Mike Macdonald’s #Seahawks defensive schemes fool.

Emmanwori lined up on line as edge rusher for offense play off own goal line. QB Milroe doesn’t notice him drop into coverage. Emmanwori picks off Milroe in flat for easy pick 6

— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) July 28, 2025

Emmanwori is a defensive back, but Macdonald had him line up as an edge rusher at first, an unusual spot for a safety, let alone one who's not even going to blitz on that play. Macdonald then had him drop back into coverage from the edge rusher spot, which is something teams often do, but they don't do it with a safety posing as an edge.

Milroe was completely and utterly fooled and tossed an interception, showcasing how excellent the combination of a versatile DB and a brilliant defensive mind can be for the Seahawks in 2025. Opposing offenses might have a really tough time, especially if Macdonald is pulling this out in training camp.

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