Second-year safety Nick Emmanwori put his versatility on display in Sunday’s win over the Chiefs.
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In a short span of the Seahawks' Sunday night win over the Chiefs, Nick Emmanwori put on display what makes him one of the league's most unique talents.
On one play, Emmanwori, lined up on the line of scrimmage, initially took a step towards the backfield as if to pursue quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was rolling to his right, then, recognizing a checkdown throw to Kenneth Walker III, Emmanwori quickly peeled back to disrupt the passing lane, leading to an incomplete pass.
Three plays later, lined up as a linebacker, Emmanwori chased down Mahomes, who was sprinting to his left, and hit the Chiefs quarterback as he threw, causing an errant pass that was intercepted by Ty Okada. Then in the third quarter, lined up as a slot defender, Emmanwori found himself matched up with receiver Xavier Worthy, who two years ago set an NFL scouting combine record by running a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, and Emmanwori ran stride for stride with Worthy as a deep pass fell incomplete 30 yards downfield.
"There ain't nothing he can't do," cornerback Devon Witherspoon said of his versatile teammate. "He can line up anywhere. He's that good, bruh. There's nothing that boy can't do.
"He has no weakness to his game. So when you've got a guy who can do stuff like that, you let him be. You don't place a guy in a certain position like, 'This is who you are. No, you've got a great tool set, go use all your tools.' And I think coach Macdonald does a great job of utilizing him like that."
The eye test provides plenty of evidence of just how unique a player Emmanwori is, but so too do the advanced stats.
Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Emmanwori allowed only receptions for 26 yards on seven targets in coverage, forcing the most incompletions (five) in a game in his career. And while he was having a great day in coverage, Emmanwori also generated two pressures on 10 pass rushes, including the hit on Mahomes that led to Okada's second-quarter interceptions. Through Week 7, Emmanwori leads all defensive backs with 12 pressures this season, pending Monday Night Football.
"Most versatile player in the league," receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba said. "Being able to put his hand in the dirt (as a pass rusher) and guard receivers. Never seen a player like him. He's a special player. I'm definitely happy he's on our team."
When Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald was asked about Emmanwori's play in Sunday's win, he deadpanned, "Yeah, he's pretty good."
Macdonald then went on to add, "As coaches, to me, we bear the responsibility of trying to have him, really our best players, affect the game the best we can without overloading them. That's kind of a burden that we carry every week. How can we best utilize his skill set, get him ready to play, while he's still the best version of himself? Something that we're always chasing. We got several guys like, that (Byron Murphy II), Leo (Williams), our edge guys. Spoon is a guy like that. There's a lot of guys you're looking at through that lens every week."
And while Emmanwori's rare physical traits are a big part of why he can do all the things he can do, focusing only on his size, speed and athleticism neglects another important part of his game, which is the work ethic and intelligence that allows him to learn multiple positions and roles every week.
As Emmanwori noted Sunday, he spends time throughout the week working with linebackers, defensive backs and the defensive line, bouncing from meeting room to meeting room on different days.
"It's a little bit of a process, honestly," he said. "I feel like if you ask any of the coaches, they would tell you it's a process, too. Throughout the week, just making sure I'm getting all my reps all over the field, whether it's defensive end, nickel, whatever package they have for me. Making sure I'm getting a lot of reps, but also keeping me limited where I'm not burning myself out mentally or physically. It's something new that I feel like they are going through too, and we're steadily growing and changing stuff throughout the week. It's a different process that you wouldn't really know how it goes until you actually watch it in practice and watch it in meetings."
And the result of all that work was another standout performance on Sunday that showed what a rare player the Seahawks have in Emmanwori.
"I think it showed everything I can do," Emmanwori said when asked about his play in Sunday's win. "Lined up at defensive end, covering in the slot, running, tackling, and being aggressive. That's thanks to the coaches let me be me, building a game plan that fits the whole defense and let's everybody play free."
The Seahawks celebrated the 20-3 victory over the Chiefs on Sunday, October 25 at Lumen Field.
The Seahawks celebrated the 20-3 victory over the Chiefs on Sunday, October 25 at Lumen Field.
The Seahawks celebrated the 20-3 victory over the Chiefs on Sunday, October 25 at Lumen Field.