In Super Bowl LX, the Seattle Seahawks did something that made absolutely no sense — and it worked like a charm.
Against a New England Patriots offense that had specialized in the power run game throughout the 2025 season, Seattle played base defense exactly 1.5% of the time. The Patriots played into that by using 11 personnel on 79.1% of their snaps, but still… when you play nickel (five defensive backs) on 44.8% of their snaps (14.2% below the NFL average) and dime (six defensive backs) on an astonishing 53.7% of their snaps (43.9% of the NFL average), something was afoot — and it made all the difference in Seattle’s 29-13 win.
The name of that something was Nick Emmanwori. The 35th overall pick in the 2025 draft out of South Carolina, the 6′ 3⅛”, 220-pound Emmanwori (who completely dominated the 2025 scouting combine) became head coach Mike Macdonald’s multi-position enforcer, in many of the same ways Kyle Hamilton filled that role back when Macdonald was the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023.
“We’ve had him at 9-technique, 5-technique, he’s playing the slot,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said of Emmanwori last December. “We’re putting a lot on his plate. That’s part of my message to him, ‘You’ve got a lot on your plate, there’s a lot of expectations, and rightfully so, you’ve earned those opportunities. Go prepare your tail off so you can play the brand of ball you want to play. Then go let it rip, and if something happens throughout the game, we’ll fix it or we’ll put you out of that situation, but just go to the next one and keep rolling.'”
Overall, it worked very well. Emmanwori played 51% of his snaps last season in the box, 45% in the slot, 2% in the deep third, and 2% as an overhang defender. His success was the latest in a long line of do-it-all safeties that goes back to Charles Woodson, through Eric Berry, Tyrann Mathieu, Derwin James, and Hamilton. These types of players have never been more relevant in the NFL, and that proved itself out in the 2026 draft.
Against a New England Patriots offense that had specialized in the power run game throughout the 2025 season, Seattle played base defense exactly 1.5% of the time. The Patriots played into that by using 11 personnel on 79.1% of their snaps, but still… when you play nickel (five defensive backs) on 44.8% of their snaps (14.2% below the NFL average) and dime (six defensive backs) on an astonishing 53.7% of their snaps (43.9% of the NFL average), something was afoot — and it made all the difference in Seattle’s 29-13 win.
The name of that something was Nick Emmanwori. The 35th overall pick in the 2025 draft out of South Carolina, the 6′ 3⅛”, 220-pound Emmanwori (who completely dominated the 2025 scouting combine) became head coach Mike Macdonald’s multi-position enforcer, in many of the same ways Kyle Hamilton filled that role back when Macdonald was the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023.
“We’ve had him at 9-technique, 5-technique, he’s playing the slot,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said of Emmanwori last December. “We’re putting a lot on his plate. That’s part of my message to him, ‘You’ve got a lot on your plate, there’s a lot of expectations, and rightfully so, you’ve earned those opportunities. Go prepare your tail off so you can play the brand of ball you want to play. Then go let it rip, and if something happens throughout the game, we’ll fix it or we’ll put you out of that situation, but just go to the next one and keep rolling.'”
Overall, it worked very well. Emmanwori played 51% of his snaps last season in the box, 45% in the slot, 2% in the deep third, and 2% as an overhang defender. His success was the latest in a long line of do-it-all safeties that goes back to Charles Woodson, through Eric Berry, Tyrann Mathieu, Derwin James, and Hamilton. These types of players have never been more relevant in the NFL, and that proved itself out in the 2026 draft.
4 months ago
