“I think what’s great about Nick is in addition to that — I mean, we all know, you can see the physicality, the physicality — but his willingness to learn and his sense of urgency and hunger to be great really stands out,” Macdonald said. “There aren’t many guys who are that talented and are really interested in putting in the work it takes to bring those qualities to life.”
The second-round rookie fell to the perfect club to unlock his versatile talents. Macdonald helped Hamilton become a force in Baltimore. He is doing the same for Emmanwori in one season. The pass is not lost on the rookie.
“Just being drafted, I expected to come in and make an impact,” the DB told NFL.com on Wednesday. “I knew I could play multiple positions and do different things. I just needed a coaching staff that had a great plan for me and wasn’t afraid to work outside the box, and just everything in the first year, you know, there’s no time to wait. The time is now.”
After dealing with an early season injury that forced him to sit out three games, Emmanwori has come in as a wrecking ball, suffocating receivers, stuffing opponents at the line and creating havoc. His versatility has been at the fore, with 15.1% of his postseason snaps coming at the line, third-highest among defenders, according to Next Generation Stats. The rookie committed three crucial pass breakups in his NFC Championship game win over the Rams.
“I just kept learning in games,” Emmanwori said of his progress this season. “The best lessons are really like handshakes and in games. So I’m learning a lot of lessons in games and figuring out how teams are trying to attack me and figuring out how teams are adjusting to how we play our defense, because we play like a unique defense. And as I’m learning and learning about myself and learning about the game of football and how the NFL works, and I’m just starting to click. more comfortable, than just being in the right spot at right time, because you know, I mean, when the plays come to you, you can’t go chasing them.
The rookie’s versatility has allowed him to be around the ball and make those plays.