Second-Round Pick Nick Emmanwori, Seahawks Agree to Historic Rookie Contract
Seattle Seahawks rookie safety Nick Emmanwori prepares for a special teams drill during rookie minicamp in May. Credit: Corbin Smith/Emerald City Spectrum
Closing in on the official start of training camp next week, two days after rookies initially were expected to report, the Seattle Seahawks have inked safety Nick Emmanwori to a historic deal to ensure he will be back on the field in quick order.
According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the Seahawks have reached an agreement with Emmanwori on a fully-guaranteed four-year rookie contract, making him the first player ever selected No. 35 overall in the second round to receive such a deal. With him now under contract, only fellow second round pick Elijah Arroyo remains unsigned from the team’s 11-player draft class.
Prior to this season, under the slotted contracts that came to fruition as part of the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement, non-first round picks rarely received fully guaranteed contracts. However, after the Texans signed former Iowa State receiver Jayden Higgins to a fully-guaranteed pact, the vast majority of second round picks remained unsigned as teams began to have rookies arrive in town for their first training camps, including both of Seattle’s picks in Emmanwori and Arroyo.
In the past, Seahawks general manager John Schneider has preferred front-loading guarantees on contracts, including with rookies. But Emmanwori may wind up being an exception to the rule rather than a trend-changer, as the 6-3, 220 pound safety brings rare physical and athletic tools with him to the NFL, including 4.32 40-yard dash speed and a 43-inch vertical jump. In addition, he earned Unanimous All-American honors for South Carolina last year, posting fantastic numbers against SEC competition, including two picks returned for touchdowns.
After wrapping up Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft, Schneider acknowledged that the Seahawks had Emmanwori “right next to Grey [Zabel]” on their big board with a similar first round draft grade, touting his dominant NFL combine workout, physicality, and all-around skill set. Not surprisingly, with several people in the war room starting to sweat things out waiting until two picks in the 50s, he also hinted that the front office considered moving back into the first round to select him before ultimately trading up to pick him at No. 35 early in the second round instead.
“We felt like we added two first-round draft picks,” Schneider said of trading up for Emmanwori at the time. “When you're doing that, we're giving up a third-round pick, then you have to figure out what the third round is going to look like once everything is picked apart there. It was just evident to Mike [Macdonald] and myself, everybody in the room, that it was well worth it.”
Per a team source, Schneider had been considering the possibility of a fully-guaranteed deal with Emmanwori in recent weeks because of Seattle’s evaluation of him as a clear first round talent. By choosing to do so, they awarded the incoming rookie with a perk typically reserved for players selected in the first 32 picks, not ones who fall into the second round or later.
Once pen goes to paper, Emmanwori will join Zabel, who the Seahawks drafted 18th overall in the first round out of North Dakota State, as the two players from this year’s class with fully guaranteed rookie contracts.
As for what Emmanwori’s agreement may or may not mean for Arroyo, that deal likely won’t bear into discussions with the former Miami tight end, who dealt with some injuries during his collegiate career and heard his name called at pick 50. While Schneider may be open to a larger chunk of the rookie contract being guaranteed, it would be a shocker if he agreed to another fully-guaranteed contract given those circumstances, and momentum with second rounders starting to sign across the league in recent days suggests a deal will be agreed upon before July 23 when veterans report.
