Insider: 2 draft prospects who fit Seahawks’ identity

Having spent a decade coaching under the Harbaugh brothers, it’s no coincidence that second-year Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald wants to play a tough, hard-nosed, physical brand of football.

Brock’s Seahawks Draft Profile: Explosive WR Jaylin Noel

That was the identity of the elite defenses Macdonald oversaw when he was the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator. And it’s the identity Macdonald is looking to continue building in Seattle.

With the NFL Draft now just over two weeks away, who are some players in this year’s class who fit that identity to a tee? Co-host Brock Huard posed that question to The Athletic national college football insider Bruce Feldman, who appeared on Monday’s edition of Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. Here are the two primary names Feldman mentioned.

Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina

Ranked by ESPN as the top safety in this year’s class, Emmanwori sports a rare level of talent and athleticism.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder led all players at the NFL combine with a 43-inch vertical jump, which was tied for the fourth-best mark by a safety in combine history. He also ranked second among safeties with a 4.38-second time in the 40-yard dash. And according to ESPN Research, Emmanwori is one of just four players at 6-foot-3 or taller since 2003 to top 40 inches in the vertical jump and run the 40-yard dash in under 4.4 seconds.

Emmanwori showcased that those elite traits the past two seasons at South Carolina. In 2024, he totaled four interceptions, two pick-sixes, two pass breakups and three tackles for loss. And in 2023, he had two interceptions and eight pass breakups.

Party in the endzone, hosted by @Eman7Nick 🤙 pic.twitter.com/E59iWhz7hP

— Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) September 8, 2024

Feldman had lofty praise for Emmanwori, comparing him to former Seahawks star safety Kam Chancellor and former Arizona Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson.

In mock drafts, Emmanwori has typically appeared between the middle and latter portions of the first round. So with the Seahawks currently holding the No. 18 overall pick, he could still be available for Seattle.

“He’s the freakiest athlete in the draft,” Feldman said. “He makes a ton of plays. He gets compared a lot to Kam Chancellor… (and) Adrian Wilson, a five-time Pro Bowler. Very similar style. The defensive coordinator at South Carolina was a teammate of Adrian Wilson’s and was like, That’s who he’s like.

“He’s an explosive guy who is an eraser. High football IQ, really good at retaining information, made a lot of plays. I think he’s somebody that would be an interesting one. I think he’ll be there at that spot.”

Jack Sawyer, EDGE, Ohio State

Sawyer, a Day 2 or Day 3 draft prospect, was a team captain and standout defensive player on Ohio State’s national championship team this past season.

Over his four-year career with the Buckeyes, the 6-foot-4, 260-pound Sawyer racked up 23 sacks, 29 tackles for loss, 11 pass breakups and six forced fumbles. That included a monster 2024 campaign with nine sacks, nine tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, an interception and three forced fumbles.

And in Ohio State’s College Football Playoff semifinal win over Texas on Jan. 10, Sawyer produced perhaps the biggest play of the Buckeyes’ title run. With Texas facing a fourth-and-goal and looking to tie the game in the closing minutes, Sawyer rushed off the edge, hit quarterback Quinn Ewers, knocked the ball free, scooped it up and ran it back for an 83-yard touchdown to seal the victory and send Ohio State to the national championship game.

JACK SAWYER SCOOP-AND-SCORE 😱

Ohio State is one step closer to advancing to the national championship! pic.twitter.com/BPoV5FBRGZ

— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2025

Sawyer isn’t a quick-twitch player, but he certainly fits the bill for toughness and physicality. According to ESPN, Sawyer is the 12th-best edge rusher in this year’s class and the 60th-best draft prospect overall. NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter and ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller both project him to be taken in the third round in their latest mock drafts.

“He’s not gonna test great. He’s not an elite traits guy,” Feldman said. “But he’s a really physical, tough football player. I think there’s a bunch of guys coming out of (Ohio State) this year that will end up as really good football players.

“Most of them, I don’t think, will be first-round guys. I think they’ll go somewhere between 50 and 100. … But the maturity of this group out of Ohio State, I think there’s a really good mix of guys that I could see Mike Macdonald being very attracted to.”

Listen to the full conversation with The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

Seattle Seahawks coverage

• Did Geno really leave Seahawks for a better situation in Vegas?
• Bump: The Seattle Seahawks OL who will make the biggest jump
• Report: Seahawks hosting their former Pro Bowl CB on free agent visit
• Why Daniel Jeremiah is a believer in Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold
• Seattle Seahawks GM: ‘We’re working on’ adding a fullback

Related

NFC West Check-In: 49ers take star TE George Kittle off PUP listHow to find Sunday’s Seahawks, Mariners games on radioStacy: What to watch for in Seahawks’ preseason clash with TitansSeahawks place Jake Bobo on IR, sign WRA look at Seahawks’ top candidates to replace injured WR BoboMacdonald: Ex-Coug Cam Ward ‘in command’ at Seahawks-Titans joint practice