Seahawks S Nick Emmanwori already wants to recapture the \
Seahawks S Nick Emmanwori already wants to recapture the "Legion of Boom" magic
The most aggressive move Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider made during the 2025 NFL draft was to trade up 17 spots in the second round. Schneider sent the Nos. 52 and 82 overall selections to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for No. 35. With that pick, the Seahawks drafted former South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori.
It's safe to say Emmanwori is excited about his landing spot. In a recent update to his social media, Emmanwori uploaded a photo of Seattle's infamous "Legion of Boom" defense as his header photo, featuring Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, and others.
How aggressive Schneider was to acquire Emmanwori signals their overall thoughts on him as a prospect. Head coach Mike Macdonald is a defense-first leader who has coached some terrific safeties throughout his career. Macdonald envisions Emmanwori playing a Kyle Hamilton-like role, who he coached as the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens.
Emmanwori was one of the most athletic prospects at this year's NFL Combine. The Gamecocks standout ran the 40-yard dash in a blazing-quick 4.38 seconds at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds. Emmanwori also made history by leaping a 43 inch vertical and 11-foot-6 broad jump.
Emmanwori's athleticism allows him to play a versatile role. He's joining a talented secondary in Seattle that already featured Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, Julian Love, and Coby Bryant. It might not quite be the "Legion of Boom," but Emmanwori's head is in the right place.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Top 10 quarterbacks for the 2025 NFL season + Sam Darnold joins the show!
Nate Tice is joined by Matt Harmon & Charles McDonald to break down their top 10 quarterbacks heading into the 2025 NFL season. The crew break down their picks from #10 to #1, with analysis on rising stars like C.J. Stroud and Jordan Love, polarizing figures like Brock Purdy and Jalen Hurts and perennial elites like Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Patrick Mahomes. Advertisement Later, Nate is joined by new Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold as Sam breaks down a few of his highlight (and lowlight) plays, discusses joining Klint Kubiak and the Seahawks offense and much more. (3:15) - QBs 10-8 (22:20) - QBs 7 & 6 (39:15) - QBs 5 & 4 (49:30) - Top 3 QBs (58:20) - Sam Darnold joins the show Football 301 debates the top 10 QBs in the league entering the 2025 season, then Sam Darnold joins the show! (Photos by Melinda Meijer/&) (Photos by Melinda Meijer/&) 🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
First look at Cooper Kupp in a Seahawks uniform
As a graduate of Eastern Washington University who got to see Cooper Kupp play college football at the same time I was a student in Cheney, I will fully admit my bias is on display when I say Kupp is arguably the most exciting acquisition the Seattle Seahawks made in free agency. However, I do not believe I am alone when it comes to this level of excitement. It does not matter if you're an Eagle, a Husky, a Cougar or Wildcat, seeing one of the greatest football players the state of Washington return "home" to play for Seattle is something 12's across the Pacific Northwest can truly rejoice with. Week 1 of the regular season is still several months away, but fans got their first glimpse of Kupp in a Seahawks uniform during Seattle's media day. I must say, I agree with the team's official Twitter account by stating the College Navy and Action Green of the Seahawks' home uniform looks great on the MVP of Super Bowl LVI. Kupp signed a three-year deal this offseason worth up to $45 million dollars. Health and durability have become considerable concerns for the former receiving Triple Crown winner, but when he's on the field he is still as productive as ever. In 12 games for the Rams in 2024, Kupp still managed to haul in 67 receptions for 710 yards and six touchdowns. If he can find a way to replicating that kind of output in 2025 it will be a tremendous success for Seattle. Advertisement The Seahawks will begin the 2025 campaign at home against the San Francisco 49ers in Seattle. This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: First look at Cooper Kupp in a Seahawks uniform
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sam Darnold gives as much as he gets trash talkin', Seahawks defense challenges the new QB
So what it's only spring. When the Seahawks began their offseason practices in late May, ringleader Devin Witherspoon and his teammates on defense made sure to talk smack across the line to their new quarterback. A LOT of smack. From snap one of day one. 'The first OTA (organized team activity) the defense just picked up where we left off in terms of, Pro Bowl safety Julian Love said Tuesday. Chatter? 'Just, guys are just talking s*** every play,' Love said. The intent was clear: The defense led by Witherspoon, the Pro Bowl cornerback who talks as good a game as he plays, wanted to tell new starting quarterback Sam Darnold in from Minnesota on a $100.5 million contract right away where the strength of Seattle's team is. And it's not on Darnold's offense. But Darnold wasn't having any of that. The 27-year-old quarterback from San Clemente, California, and USC with sandy blonde hair in waves and a 10 handicap in golf (who says his recent best round shooting a 78 on his course back home wasn't all that good) woofed back. 'What you love about Sam is he's just a dude, man,' Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said Tuesday after the first practice of mandatory minicamp. 'He's, like, one of the guys. There's a sense of he's one of the guys. So he's right there with them. 'But there's some there's some s*** to him. Like, don't mess with him. 'You know, he's he's got that edge to him, that competitiveness. And the guys respect that.' Darnold's competitiveness is not a surprise to the Seahawks. Macdonald and general manager John Schneider knew it in March. That's when the Seahawks quickly pivoted in March away from two-time Pro Bowl passer Geno Smith wanting more money to remain Seattle's QB beyond 2025. They traded Smith, to Las Vegas, and within days signed Darnold. He is coming off a 14-3 season for the Vikings throwing for 4,300 yards. One of those wins was over the Seahawks at Lumen Field. Darnold completed 22 of 35 passes that December night in Seattle, for 246 yards and three touchdowns with zero turnovers. The Vikings beat the Seahawks 27-24 in the third-to-last game of their season. Seattle missed the playoffs by one win. 'We went against him,' Maconald said of Darnold's competitiveness. 'We felt it.' What does Darnold's trash talk sound like on the field? 'Like, dad jokes,' Love said. The safety, himself a father of a toddler, smiled. 'It's, like, those type of kind of jabs,' Love said. 'But you can tell: 'OK, he has some fire, to him.' He's used to being one of the guys, one of the boys. 'He's not a square type of guy. He's cool. He's cool with dishing back a bit.' That doesn't mean his teammates think the dishes, the food, Darnold likes is all that refined. Darnold said he is excited to try the many good restaurants around his new Seattle area. New Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp, the Super Bowl MVP and NFL offensive player of the year in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams described Darnold asking him out to dinner recently. 'He kind of has a childish taste. Like, palate,' Kupp said. It's not a $100 million one. 'He said he wanted to go to dinner. I was like, 'Perfect. What sounds good?' Kupp said. 'Just the recommendations, the way he came off was, like, 'You want to go get some fries and chicken strips?' 'And I was like, 'Look, I I have a six year old. I can bring you his food. I can bring that — and I'll go eat something good.' Kupp said of Darnold: 'I don't, I don't trust him yet with the food recommendations, things like that. 'Again, quarterbacks, I would have expected a little bit differently. But, you know, everyone has their own thing.' On the field, Darnold was shaking his head and kicking at the grass at one point last week during OTAs. That was after he threw four interceptions in the first two offseason practices open to the media last week. Love and cornerback Josh Jobe picked off Darnold twice in three red-zone plays one day. Darnold has also gotten the defense with sharp, quick throws, particularly to Kupp. Another one came in minicamp Tuesday. During 11-on-11 scrimmaging, a route so exquisite off the line by Kupp had the Yakima native and former Eastern Washington star 5 yards wide of cornerback Riq Woolen's coverage. Woolen didn't realize the ball was arriving from Darnold for the completion and first down. But the defense has generally won more than its lost against Darnold and the starting offense. The starting offense again didn't score a touchdown in 11-on-11 scrimmaging Tuesday. Darnold often held the ball a long time because the defensive secondary was tightly covering Kupp, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the receivers. They are reminders the Seahawks defense that rebounded so well late last season remains not only a strength of the team but is 'on a mission' for 2025, as Macdonald put it Tuesday. In red-zone scrimmaging to begin minicamp, Darnold tried to loft a throw to the back left corner of the end zone to 6-foot-4 wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling over Woolen. But Woolen broke it with a jump. The next play the pass rush and coverage — including 220-pound rookie safety Nick Emmanwori in his view — forced Darnold to lawn dart a throw inside well short of the goal line. That series ended in a field goal by Jason Myers instead of a touchdown. Another win for the defense. 'They're flying around. It's super fun to compete against,' Darnold said. 'I think all of the variations of coverages, too, the way that the guys in the back end disguise coverages, and even the nickels. You've got 'Spoon' disguising certain leverages, so I don't know whether he's going to be a hook defender or if he's going to be in the flat. 'I think those guys on the back end are doing a really good job. I know they're going to continue to do that and push us as we're going to continue to push them.' That's the thing the Seahawks defenders are noticing, through the smack talk at Darnold. Their new quarterback is pushing them, too. 'Sam kind of has some of that little swag to him,' Love said. 'And he has ability. And so he's making us better.' Yet even away from the field, well after the smack talk has subsided, Witherspoon doesn't exactly shower his quarterback with praise. 'He's got his strengths. He's got his weaknesses. Like every quarterback,' Witherspoon said. 'Now (that) he's on our team he's going to go out there and make a lot of plays for us. So, we put a lot of trust in him and I believe he's going to deliver.'
