Field Gulls
The Seahawks took Nick Emmanwori after trading up in the second round. What are his strengths and weaknesses as a player?
The Seattle Seahawks moved up on day two of the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting safety Nick Emmanwori at No. 35. The former South Carolina player was considered a first-round pick and was known for being one of the most athletic prospects in recent memory.
The pick has one of the greatest potentials for Boom or Bust, and in this article I’ll explain why.
Emmanwori started playing football because of his older brother. He started playing RB, WR and CB before entering High School. Arriving in High School he played WR and DB (in addition to playing basketball) and emerged as a standout in his junior and senior years, being All-State in both years.
He was rated as a three-star prospect. He received interest from Charlotte and Georgia Southern, before receiving an offer to South Carolina’s camp. He committed to the Gamecocks where he stayed until declaring for the Draft. Emmanwori received offers from other Power-4 teams in his senior season, but wanted to finish his college career in South Carolina.
In college he made 36 starts in three seasons. 2024: 88 tackles, 3 TFLs, 5 PBUs, 4 interceptions, 2 touchdowns. He earned a spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll twice. He was also named a First-Team All-American and First-Team All-SEC in his senior season, which was also his season as captain.
John Schneider said the Seahawks almost moved back to the end of the first round to select Nick Emmanwori. He said if they left this draft without him, everyone in the Seattle draft process would be really disappointed.
To move up 17 spots from No. 52 to No. 35, the Seahawks gave up a third-round pick (82). Compare that to the Falcons, who gave up their 2026 first-round pick to move up 19 spots and select James Pearce Jr. It was expensive, but it was less than what Atlanta spent.
Let’s look at John Schneider’s Day 2 Trade Up history:
