After a slow start to the season, which included three games missed with a high ankle sprain, Emmanwori has become a force multiplier in Macdonald’s defence. His ability to line up throughout the formation allows the Seahawks to disguise their coverage and press.
Teammates raved about Emmanwori’s size and dynamic ability this week, calling him the “X-factor” heading into Sunday’s game against New England.
The question now is to what extent his game will be hampered by the ankle injury – the same ankle he injured earlier in the season, but not considered nearly as serious.
If Emmanwori isn’t able to go full force in Super Bowl LX, it would be a huge blow to Seattle’s No. 1 defense. In two playoff games, he has made eight tackles, four passes defensed and one fumble recovery.
The rookie’s ability to cover the slot, line up in the box to stuff the run, pressure the blitz and even line up at D-tackle to disguise the defense makes him an important piece of the puzzle. According to Next Generation Stats, 15.1 percent of Emmanwori’s snaps in the 2025 playoffs have come at the line, the third-highest percentage among defensive backs (minimum five snaps).
During the regular season, Emmanwori played 51.0 percent of his snaps in the box, just one of two DBs to coordinate in the box at a rate greater than 45 percent (Kyle Hamilton). He joined Derwin James as one of two players to line up at edge rusher on at least 10 percent of snaps and slot corner on at least 30 percent of snaps in 2025 (minimum 500 snaps).
If the rookie’s snaps are reduced at all, backup Ty Okada, who started 11 games in 2025, would see more reps.
How the playing time works out on Sunday will be game conditions for Macdonald to deal with. The good news, three days before the biggest game of his career, is that the rookie will be in the lineup.