Making like-for-like moves to replace players who cashed in after a Super Bowl win wouldn’t normally earn a team praise, but the Seattle Seahawks are receiving a growing number of plaudits for repeating the strategy that yielded key defensive playmaker, safety Nick Emmanwori.
General manager John Schneider took Emmanwori off the board with a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Schneider doubled down on taking a safety in Round 2 when he made Bud Clark the 64th player drafted this year, a move loved by Mike Sando of The Athletic.
Sando acknowledged how Emmanwori’s “rapid rise does not guarantee similar results for 2026 second-round safety Bud Clark, but it’s looking like coach Mike Macdonald knows how to maximize personnel on defense. That increases the chances that Clark’s big-hitting style adds something to one of the NFL’s top defenses.”
Clark isn’t downplaying his chances, even comparing himself to a member of the franchise’s legendary ‘Legion of Boom’ secondary. That’s a healthy amount of bravado for a first-year player entering one of the most complex defensive systems in the league.
Schneider and Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald might be prepared to put so much on young safeties like Clark, because of the financial benefits of trusting the draft to strengthen the position.
Bud Clark Shares Nick Emmanwori Traits
Clark appealed to the Seahawks because he shares traits with Emmanwori. Notably, the ability to play multiple spots, both on the back end and in the box.
Moving around freely and still disrupting both phases of offenses defined Clark’s career at TCU. Those things also helped Emmanwori redefine the role of safeties in Seattle’s defesnse.
Putting Emmanwori into different positions helped Macdonald alter the look of the NFL’s toughest defense from play to play. It was a huge advantage, but the Seahawks are being challenged to change Emmanwori’s game.
Having Emmanwori expand his responsibilities in deep coverage, particularly when playing zone, will be easier if Clark is making an impact closer to the line of scrimmage.
Macdonald and Schneider are prepared to risk some rookie growing pains in a vital role. Rather than enter an increasingly expensive market for veteran safeties.
Seahawks Playing Smart at Safety, On and Off the Field
Not only do the Seahawks get creative with how they use their safeties on the field, the team plays it smart when reloading at the position. A new recruit was needed after last season’s starter next to Emmanwori, Coby Bryant, joined the Chicago Bears in free agency.
Bryant was a formidable member of Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde’s schemes. Yet, as Justin Melo of Seahawks Wire explained, retaining the player wouldn’t have been cost-effective.
As Melo put it, “Bryant’s deal in free agency with the Chicago Bears was for three years and $40 million. Instead of paying Bryant roughly $13.3 million per campaign, the Seahawks believe drafting Clark will help replace him for a literal fraction of the cost.”
Melo also cited the history-making contract extension handed to Derwin James by the Los Angeles Chargers as a reason prices are inflated and the Seahawks aren’t playing: “While NFL teams are starting to pay safeties $25 million per year, the Seahawks will have Emmanwori and Clark on team-friendly rookie contracts through 2028 and 2029.”
It’s a safe strategy, but the Seahawks will only look smart if Clark can even come close to emulating what Emmanwori produced as a dynamic rookie.
Seahawks Praised for Repeating Nick Emmanwori Strategy