Three thumping standouts in Seahawks’ 1st camp practice in full pads. Two of them rookies
In the first “real football” of Seahawks training camp, new guys Jalen Milroe and Nick Emmanwori learned how tricky Mike Macdonald’s defense can be.
Milroe, Seattle’s rookie quarterback and third-round draft choice from Alabama, and his backup offense were coming off their own goal line in an 11-on-11 scrimmage Monday. It was the camp’s first practice in full pads. Macdonald called a defense that had Emmanwori, the 220-pound safety the Seahawks traded up 17 spots to the top of the second round to draft in May, on the end of the line as an edge rusher.
Emmanwori has been doing that plenty so far in camp. He’s lined up as an outside linebacker. On many scrimmage plays he’s been unblocked rushing off the edge to sack Sam Darnold, backup Drew Lock and third-stringer Milroe.
On this play off the goal line Monday, Monday had Emmanwori start the play rushing Milroe. Then he ran back into the short flat into zone coverage to his outside and right.
Milroe saw a lot of defense in college football’s mighty Southeastern Conference. Yet he was fooled by this one.
After seeing him pass rush initially, Milroe never expected or saw Emmanwori in the flat. The rookie safety/linebacker intercepted the rookie QB’s short pass and easily jogged the 7 or so yards to the end zone for a defensive touchdown.
The pleased Macdonald walked over to Emmanwori after his latest play and said to his 21-year-old man-child: “Hey man, you having fun out here or what?!”
How can he not. Macdonald is like a mad scientist with Emmanwori right now. The defensive innovator has his rookie all over his defense, and with the starters, too. One play he’s a third safety, “big nickel,” down close to the line of scrimmage. Then he’s an edge-rushing outside linebacker. Then he’s a deep safety covering receivers as a fifth, nickel defensive back.
And Emmanwori keeps asking for more. He spent so much time coming into Macdonald’s office upstairs from the locker room in the team facility this spring the head coach joked he has to tell Emmanwori: “Hey, when the door’s closed, knock.”
Macdonald and general manager John Schneider said the night they drafted him in May they see Emmanwori as potentially like Kyle Hamilton, the do-it-all safety also at 220 pounds Macdonald coached into an All-Pro while the coach was the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator two years ago. Most took that to mean eventually.
The News Tribune asked Macdonald if he had planned to have Emmanwori do this much this soon all over the defense, or if the rookie has just proven to deserve and successfully absorb more.
“I think he’s earning what we give him,” Macdonald said. “I don’t think we’re trying to intentionally overload him. I think we are going at the pace that he is able to pick up.
“We’ll see. (Monday) was not necessarily ‘live’ yet, but as we get into preseason games and how he retains it, and we feel like he will do — well, we’re going to have to start making those decisions later on in camp as we look to start the season.”
Coby Bryant challenged
Safety Coby Bryant has been on the field with Emmanwori and Pro Bowl safety Julian Love when the rookie has joined the first-team defenses in scrimmages. Yet Bryant, entering the final year of his rookie contract, sees Emmanwori as competition for his spot, if not now sometime this season.
Bryant has likely been thinking that was for 2 1/2 months, since the Seahawks traded up to draft Emmanwori — and general manager explored possibly trading into round one to select him the day earlier.
“I am who I am,” Bryant said Monday. “Nick is a great player, a great person. We’re ultimately going to compete. It’s going to make the room better.
“It’s exciting, for sure.”
DeMarcus Lawrence: Strong
This was indeed an anticipated day, and is in every NFL training camp. The first day in full pads after a mandated, four-day acclimation period in shorts and helmet to begin camps is the first time the players have had on shoulder pads in the seven months since they last played a game.
“We’ve just gone the last four months of saying, ‘Hey, when the pads come on... When the pads come on... When the pads come on,’” Macdonald said.
“Now they’re on. So now it’s time to go. Now you can see we’re playing real football. Who can hold up when we’re physically challenging each other.”
DeMarcus Lawrence sure can.
The 6-foot-3, 254-pound defensive end who spent 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys before signing with Seattle this spring made a huge impression on the first pads day. Particularly on Abe Lucas.
In a one-on-one pass-rush drill on a side field Monday, the 33-year-old Lawrence bull-rushed into Lucas with such grown- (older-?) man power he lifted the starting right tackle off his feet.
Lawrence had been waiting almost 10 months for Monday. It was his first time in pads since he sustained a Lisfranc injury to the middle of his foot in week four of Dallas’ 2024 season. He was leading the Cowboys in sacks when he got hurt.
“I had a pretty long offseason. Like, I ain’t played football since September,” Lawrence told The News Tribune late last week.
“I’m just glad I got another opportunity to play the game I love.”
So far, Lawrence looks every bit worth three-year, $42 million contract with $18 million guaranteed the Seahawks gave him in March. They have him working position drills with outside linebackers Boye Mafe and Derick Hall as a standup outside linebacker in side work during early, special-teams portions of practices.
“This is probably the best compliment I have: He looks like a giant on film,” Macdonald said.
“Hopefully, that paints a picture for you. That’s how he plays.”
Damien Martinez impresses
Rookie running back Damien Martinez was another who stepped up when the pads came on Monday.
A seventh-round draft choice from Miami and Oregon State, Martinez was rugged and strong in pass-protection drills against linebackers rushing off the edge. At one point, coaches were praising Martinez so loudly they could be heard halfway across the field.
“I think today was the best day he’s had,” Macdonald said.
“We had a feeling that he would show up a little bit more in the pads.”
The 6-foot, 217-pound Martinez is moving up in prominence with third-year running back Kenny McIntosh now out for the season on injured reserve needing knee surgery.
Coach not pleased with offense
Other than Martinez, Macdonald was not pleased with the physicality on offense Monday.
Extra points
*Starting middle linebacker Ernest Jones is away from the team dealing with a personal matter. It sounds serious. “For him and his family, he can use all of our prayers right now. He’s OK, everything’s OK. But we love him, and he’s with his family right now.” *Cornerback Shaquill Griffin missed his fourth consecutive day because of an undisclosed personal matter. Macdonald said Griffin should be back “early this week.”
*The team has another practice in full pads Tuesday afternoon.
This story was originally published July 28, 2025 at 6:34 PM.
