The Seattle Seahawks already have quite a few stars on their dark side defense. But there’s another one developing in safety Nick Emmanwori.
The second-year defender made his season debut for the Seahawks on Sunday versus the Arizona Cardinals. Emmanwori only had one tackle in the 31-7 victory over the Cardinals, but that didn’t stop veteran safety Julian Love from raving about his teammate.
“That’s are guy. Nick is a character if you know him. He’s a funny dude, and he is a problem on the field,” Love told reporters after the win. “He’s strong, he can run, he can do all the things.
“So seeing him get into some action this year for us is going to unlock us in a lot of ways. He’s a special dude.”
Emmanwori played in 14 games last season, starting 11 of them. He posted 81 combined tackles, including nine for loss with 2.5 sacks and 11 pass defenses.
With that in mind, it’s a little scary to think about him seeing more action for the Seahawks in 2026. Last year, Emmanwori finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting while playing 84% of the team’s defensive snaps in his 14 contests.
Nick Emmanwori Makes 2026 Season Debut vs. Cardinals
Emmanwori already started 11 games as a rookie last season, but Love likely suggested he would do more, and thus unlock some things for the Seahawks defense, because he is replacing Coby Bryant in the secondary.
Bryant was one of Seattle’s few starters who left in NFL free agency from the Super Bowl roster. Bryant signed with the Chicago Bears in March.
Emmanwori played just nine defensive snaps in his debut Sunday. But clearly, the expectations are high for the 22-year-old. Love set the bar high with his heavy praise for the safety.
In addition to 81 tackles and 11 pass defenses, Emmanwori had four quarterback hits and one interception last season.
Julian Love Speaks out on Rising Star on Seahawks Defense