Seahawks minicamp: Assessing the new offense; Nick Emmanwori all over; Jalen Milroe rising
Good thing it’s only June. For the Seahawks’ offense, anyway.
Seattle’s defense began offseason practices late last month winning and at times dominating against new quarterback Sam Darnold and the starting offense in organized team activities (OTAs).
In the two-day minicamp that ended the offseason workouts for the veterans Wednesday, the strength of Seattle’s team continued to dominate.
Darnold and those running new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s all-new scheme had about a dozen tries to score from the 5-yard line in seven-on-seven, red-zone scrimmages during minicamp Tuesday and Wednesday. The starting defense denied them from scoring all but one time.
The offense did not score five times in six tries Wednesday.
Linebacker Drake Thomas, filling-in while starter Ernest Jones IV rested in team drills, broke up Darnold’s pass short over the middle. Then Darnold threw a quick pass on a slant route that cornerback Devon Witherspoon was closer to than the receiver. That was nearly an interception.
The next throw from Darnold, the Minnesota starter in 2024 who got a three-year, $100.5 million contract from Seattle in March, was way wide of Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Cornerback Riq Woolen covered him beyond the sideline boundary of the end zone. Woolen earlier almost intercepted Darnold on the QB’s late throw over the middle to Marquez Valdes-Scantling during 11-on-11 work.
Darnold then through too far into the end zone past wide receiver Cody White, who had a strong spring. Next, coverage by every defensive back forced Darnold to hold onto the ball and finally run outside to the right before that play basically ended.
The only red-zone score over the two days was Darnold’s throw Wednesday outside to Smith-Njigba. The covering official ruled he got his second foot down inside the sideline boundary away from tight coverage for a legal catch and touchdown. The defense disputed that ruling.
Coach Mike Macdonald spent more time during playbook installation with Kubiak’s unit in OTAs and minicamp than he did with Seattle’s offense in his rookie year as head coach in 2024.
The News Tribune asked him to assess where Darnold and the new offense is heading into training camp that begins July 23.
The coach sounded a bit defensive about his offense.
“I think right where they need to be. It’s tough to assess right now. It really is,” he said.
“It’s going to come to life when you can separate the defense. You know, we are on some of these runs (in no-pads, no-contact practices in the offseason) and then all of a sudden it’s second and 4 rather than, hey, we’re just kind of, looks like a soft spot right there. Or we broke a tackle.”
That’s the crux of Kubiak’s new scheme. Darnold is likely to be best only if Kubiak succeeds in establishing and continually employing an effective running game. It’s why Macdonald hired the outside, wide-zone devotee from the New Orleans Saints this offseason, to improve what’s been one of the league’s worst rushing offenses the last few years.
That run game had lead back Kenneth Walker running sprints on a side field with a trainer instead of with the offense in OTAs and minicamp. Macdonald said Walker has a minor ankle issue. Walker did participate in run-fit drills walking through them with the starting offensive line each practice.
Kubiak used I formation often in 11-on-11 scrimmaging. Converted tight end Brady Russell and rookie draft choice Robbie Ouzts, a 275-pound tight end at Alabama, are competing to be the new fullback. Kubiak’s Saints used a fullback about 25% of the time last season, most in the league.
Macdonald and Kubiak won’t get to see how the fullback is most effective in this system, and how the run game benefits Darnold, until full pads come on in training camp.
“That’s where it really comes to life, when you are wearing defenses down — and then here comes the (play-)actions (passes) and the movements that you have to honor the run game,” Macdonald said. “So I think we’ll have a better feel a couple of weeks into training camp.
“At that point you’re going to start making decisions on narrowing down schematically of where we want to kind of center our focus both personnel-wise.
“And you can’t be doing everything all the time, so you’re going to have to make some decisions as camp starts to unfold.”
That’s what else we learned about Macdonald and Kubiak during OTAs and minicamp. Returning players say the coaches are asking them to be very good at fewer areas of the game this year. They want them to master key, fundamental concepts, perhaps at the expense of a wider array of offensive ideas that since-fired offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb tried last season.
Nick Emmanwori, everywhere
The rookie second-round pick practiced at safety. He did outside-linebacker drills, and at times lined up with Ernest Jones as the defense’s only linebackers in scrimmages. Emmanwori was the nickel defensive back inside. He defended tight ends and wide receivers. He blitzed, multiple times forcing Darnold to lawn-dart throws into the turf. He defended tight ends and wide receivers.
“He’s locked in,” defensive coordinator Aden Durde said.
OTAs and minicamp suggest Emmanwori is going to be far more than a 220-pound safety as a rookie in 2025.
“There are a lot of things we’re going to ask of him, and you’re kind of in this phase now where you’re exposing him to a lot of things to see what hits, what doesn’t,” Macdonald said.
“But his spirit about it and attitude (is) ‘I’m going to go do this drill today? Great. I’m going to do this drill? Awesome.’ Keep building those skills and keep training yourself to be the best player you can, and then it’s up to us as a coaching staff to keep putting him in positions where he can do stuff that he does well.”
Macdonald said Emmanwori has been up to his coach’s office so many times asking so many questions, he feels like he needs to tell his precocious rookie “if the door’s closed, knock.”
“Like I said — we’ve talked about this at length — but just with a guy with that attitude that he’s had every day is just really fun to work with,” Macdonald said.
Jalen Milroe’s progress
The rookie third-round pick, a running quarterback who had accuracy issues throwing the ball in college at Alabama, had his best two passing days in minicamp of the six practices The News Tribune watched this offseason.
He zinged line-drive throws onto receivers’ hands running the third-team offense behind Darnold and backup Drew Lock. Milroe also showed deft touch with accurate, rainbow passes for completions of 40-plus yards.
While Darnold and the starting offense had trouble scoring once in two days, Milroe threw four touchdown passes in a half-dozen plays against the third-team defense during seven-on-seven red-zone scrimmaging into the opposite end zone Wednesday.
At one point Wednesday after another sterling throw, Macdonald went up to Milroe to remind him how far he’s come since the first practice of rookie minicamp in early May.
“Routes on air. Man, how much different does it feel compared to two months ago?” Macdonald asked his rookie QB.
Milroe flashed a big smile.
“Man,” he told his coach, “I feel great.”
Milroe ended minicamp for the entire team when he zipped a pass onto the chest of undrafted rookie tight end Marshall Lang from Northwestern up the middle of the field for a touchdown on the final play. All his teammates cheered, and Macdonald called it a day — and a minicamp.
“You see the poise, the fundamental stuff that we’re asking, footwork and timing and reads,” Macdonald said.
“But you don’t just do that by showing up every day. You have to be intentional and on record with his work ethic and stuff. That’s really impressive. He’s earned kind of that feeling of confidence right now. He’s earned that feeling going into the summer.”
Kubiak said last week Milroe has been on the field at 4:30 a.m. running through plays. Asked Wednesday if that was accurate, Macdonald smiled and said “I’m not here at 4:30, so I can’t tell you that, specifically.”
Kubiak is likely to have a package of plays for Milroe in each game plan this season, at a minimum to give opposing defenses something extra to prepare for against Seattle.
Offensive line competitions
The starting offensive line appears set at left tackle with Charles Cross, left guard with rookie first-round pick Grey Zabel, and right tackle with Abe Lucas.
Zabel was the fastest lineman off the ball moving laterally in Kubiak’s wide-zone blocking in offseason practices. Coaches gave him a loaded course at right guard. Zabel was the first- and third-teamer there in OTAs and minicamp, to maximize his reps.
Battles to win the starting jobs at center and right guard on the new offensive line are already going.
Jalen Sundell and Olu Oluwatimi split first-team plays at center almost exactly evenly in the minicamp. Same with Christian Haynes and Anthony Bradford at right guard.
No way to tell who gained an edge without full pads and full physicality. That’s what training camp is for.
Macdonald said he’d like to have starters set on the line “sooner than later,” once pads come on in training camp. That could mean by early to mid August.
Bradford began last year as the starter in a season that ended with rookie Sataoa Laumea at right guard. Macdonald said Bradford, Seattle’s fourth-round pick from LSU in 2023, knows he must impress in training camp.
“A.B. has done a great job this spring. His body comp has really improved, which speaks to his work ethic,” Macdonald said. “I think he’s made strides.
“Now, let’s go. You know, it’s time to go prove it consistently. He knows that.
“But he’s right in the thick of it with the battle at right guard.
“’Taoa’ is part of that equation,” Macdonald added. “The rookies really haven’t seen live and in color. So I wouldn’t say it’s a two-man race right now. It’s more wide open.”
Uchenna Nwosu, other injury updates
The team doesn’t think Walker’s ankle issue will linger into training camp.
The Seahawks aren’t sure if Uchenna Nwosu will be ready for the start of camp. He was at OTAs and minicamp but did not participate on the field.
He had offseason knee surgery, after going on injured reserve twice last year. Once was for a medial-collateral ligament injury in his knee getting cut-blocked in a preseason game, in August.
When he returned in October, he injured his quadriceps and wrist in his first game back.
“Yeah, we’ll see with ‘Chenna,” Macdonald said. “All the timetable stuff is funky right now.”
Nwosu, 28, took a $7 million pay cut this offseason to stay with the Seahawks for 2025. He contract runs through 2026.
Rookie wide receiver Tory Horton looked unlimited during OTAs, running and making cuts past defensive backs. He didn’t participate in minicamp, watching from the sideline.
The fifth-round pick missed most of his final college season at Colorado State with knee and hamstring injuries.
Dareke Young got hurt diving for a long pass with no pads on during an OTA practice. He didn’t participate in practices during minicamp. He ran sprints on a side field with Walker this week.
Young, the seventh-round pick from Lenior-Rhyne in 2022, can’t afford to miss much time in training camp. He’s trying to stay on the team in another crowded, talented group of wide receivers.
New kick returner
*While talking about his special teams Wednesday, Macdonald revealed veteran wide receiver Steven Sims, signed this offseason from Macdonald’s former Baltimore Ravens, has the inside track to be Seattle’s new kickoff returner. And maybe punt returner, too.
“It’s why we signed Sims, in large part,” the head coach said. “But we got some competition there and the kick return battle, too.
“So it’s good. Yeah, it’s good.”
Extra points
Macdonald loved that 100% of the team was present for at least most if not all of the voluntary workouts and OTAs April into June.
“We’re young, but I feel like we’re mature. Then we do have a great couple of vets that, you know, they don’t have to be here and they could say, ‘Hey, look, I’m a vet, I got my money, I know what’s expected of me. I can show up and everything is great.’ You can do that, and there are guys that do that, but our guys really decided to be invested in these young guys. And they care about where this team goes. Man, that fires you up.”
*The veterans are off until training camp in six weeks. The rookies return next week for three days of OTA-like practices before they, too, will be off.
Richard Sherman was at minicamp Wednesday. The retired Seahawks All-Pro cornerback and Super Bowl champion talked with general manager John Schneider on the field after practice ended.
This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
