As is tradition for the Seahawks and a lot of other teams, veterans will still joke with Emmanwori that he is a "rookie" until he gets a few games under his belt in Year 2, but those teammates also know he has the chance to be a special player in 2026 and beyond.
"I'm excited," safety Julian Love said. "Nick is one of one, personality wise, juice wise. Having him as a rookie was really funny, and maybe frustrating at times, because he has some swagger to him for sure. To see him become a leader is pretty cool. He's not out of the rookie phase yet—three games—but it's just fun to see him do his thing. He's just so special, he's one of one in this league. You can make comparisons to a lot of different players, but it's like nothing is what he does. So if we can maximize him this year—he is the heart of this thing, in terms of just talent. He is really special."
Added linebacker Ernest Jones IV, "Nick's a hell of a player. 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."
To Jones' point, Emmanwori said he started seeing the game better midway through last season, and is looking to add to that part of his game this offseason so he can have an even bigger impact this year.
"I'm looking to just be more of a complete player," Emmanwori said. "A lot of the stuff last year as a rook, maybe after like Week 8 or 9, I started noticing formations and stuff, so Week 1, I'm trying to notice stuff and be ahead of the game so I can play fast, make more plays, finish more and more impactful plays.
"I think I did a really good job last year, but I'm definitely ahead of the curve now, starting to feel the game a lot more."