By Mazvita Maraire Posted on

Seahawks start Day Two with a bang select Nick Emmanwori and close out with Jalen Milroe selection

The Seahawks started Day Two of the NFL with a bang. The team traded picks No. 52 in the second round and No. 82 in the third round with the Titans for the 35th pick in the Second round. The Hawks used the  35th pick on South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori.

A box-to-box safety, Emmanwori was a slam-dunk pick for the Seahawks. The team drafted former  Miami tight end Elijah  Arroyo with the 50th pick .  John Schneider and  Mike Macdonald  completed   Day Two of the NFL draft by picking Alabama quarterback Jalen  Milroe

NICK EMMANWORI

The move to trade up for Emmanwori  shows  just how much belief the team has in the hybrid safety/ linebacker. This is a player who will pay immediate dividends to the Seahawks.

“Yeah, it worked out great. We were a little nervous that things were going to fall apart there. Not sure how far he would have gone. Felt like a way. 50, 52 felt like a far distance,” said Schneider .”He wouldn’t have fallen there. This is one of the best Combines I’ve ever seen. Physically he does kind of look like Kam. I think Kam would tell you he didn’t test like that.”

 PRO FOOTBALL  FOCUS SCOUTING REPORT

Emmanwori’s elite size and speed combination will undoubtedlydraw evaluators’ attention, as he possesses numerous tools that are proven assets at the NFL level. However, his stiffness and lack of anticipation leave him playing catch-up often. He tends to grab receivers and is most effective as a box/slot defender who can match up with tight ends, where his tools work to his advantage. He can get washed down in the run game and over run ball carriers.

STRENGTHS

• Size and length are elite, freakish athletic testing

• Effective playing in the box/slot/near the line of scrimmage

• Makes good use of range paired with ball skills

• Flashes makeup speed to undercut crossing routes

WEAKNESS

• Arm tackler in open space led to misses

• Stiff hips make life harder on himself

• Bailed out from poor reads/recognition by his length and speed

• Gets handsy when late to react or behind

• Could stand to improve true anticipation in man coverage

WHAT THE PLAYER  SAID

Emmanwori’s coach at  South Carolina was Torrian Gray, who was the coach for former Seahawks legend Kam Chancellor.

” Coach Gray  coached him, and he coached me, so Coach used  to tell me all the time that we have a lot of similarities and used to compare our game a l.” Said Emmanwori. 
”And  honestly Kam  Chancellor  was like one of my favorite safeties ever. So  it means a lot going to Seattle. I  used to watch him all the time on TV and I used to pull up his highlights before games.”

Versatile  TE  ELIJAH ARROYO

The team used its second pick in the round on  Miami tight end  Elija Arroyo. Noah Fant is the  starter for the moment.  Arroyo will battle AJ Barner for  the back up position.  Former tight end Brady Russell is listed as a fullback which could open up a third tight end position on the roster.

PRO FOOTBALL  FOCUS SCOUTING REPORT

At 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, he has a receiving tight end skill set. Hismovement skills are above average from his straight-line speed to how quickly he flips his hips when running routes and earning yards after the catch. In the lone season as a starter, he displayed reliable hands with just one drop from 50 targets. He is not a reliable blocker. He lacks the strength to stay engaged with linebackers and even when throwing his full body into defensive ends, it doesn’t move them much. He also has some bad technique, dipping his head before big contact and lacking leverage when engaging drive blocks. His competitive toughness.

STRENGTHS

Good all-around athlete for the position

• Has a good sense of urgency/effort

• Plays with a chip on his shoulder

• Good physicality at the breakpoints of his routes

• Just one drop from 50 targets in 2024

WEAKNESS

• Will dip his head when loading up for bigger blocks

• Consistent false steps getting out of his stance

• Doesn’t have NFL-level impact run-blocking strength

• Lacks leverage and technique to maintain blocks

WHAT THE PLAYER  SAID

The Seahawks’ new offense under Klint Kubiak expects tight ends to run and block with equal efficiency.  Arroy was asked about his blocking and pass catching abilities.

I did a decent amount. I really improved these past couple of years. There’s still a lot more room for improvement as far as my in-line blocking. Just learning how to help the offense in any way I can,” said Arroyo.

“I would say, first of all, consistent. I’m an elite
competitor. You look on film, you know exactly what you’re going to get with me. Tremendous
effort and everything out of me, just in general. In the passing game, I can stretch the field. I’m
basically like a receiver out there. I can run every route on the route tree. I understand how to get
open, I understand zones. I feel like I’m a great overall tight end.”

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

  The Seahawks’ final pick of the day  92 overall was on former  Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe. This was the best value pick of the draft. The team’s immediate quarterback  needs are secure with Sam Donald.  Drew Lock was another free agent signing but unlike Darnold he is the designated  back up. Enter Milroe who has untapped talent.  Milroe has plenty of work before he becomes a starting quarterback in the NFL.  Because of his unique talents , Milroe will  find his was on the field.

“You got to look at it through the lens of things we talked about when we first hired Klint (Kubiak). One of the reasons we hired him was to incorporate the whole roster and really bring out what everybody does really well. Adding Jalen (Milroe) is a part of that. The ability to kind of bring the best out of all the players is really exciting,’ Said Macdonnald .”That’s you it fits. We’re running Klint’s offense. Jalen is going to fit right in. But when he’s in there, we’re going to be doing the stuff he does great, just like we do when Sam (Darnold) is leading the charge. Yeah, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

PROFOOTBALL FOCUS   SCOUTING REPORT

Milroe has one of the strongest arms in the class, and if he isn’t in the Tier 1 NFL arm category, he’s not far behind in Tier 2. That track background also makes him a lethal rushing threat. While his physical gifts make him an alluring prospect to invest in, his inconsistencies are why drafting and playing him early could end poorly. He is not consistently accurate. His twitchy throwing motion means that any deviation in his fundamentals can negatively impact ball placement. He also holds onto the ball too long, averaging over 3.00 seconds per dropback, leading to a high sack rate. He also struggles to read non-primary defenders — he can key in on one or two defenders pre-snap but fail to see the full coverage picture post-snap. Though he is a great athlete, his passing grades and efficiency on the run are poor. He does, however, post strong numbers on third-and-long, with more than 50% of his throws going beyond the sticks and a solid number of big-time throws.

STRENGHTS

• Not just escapability but a true dual-threat athlete

• Good enough athlete to force missed tackles in space

• Twitchy athleticism evident in throwing motion speed

• Can show really nice touch/accuracy on deep passes

• Experienced RPO quarterback

WEAKNESS

• Accuracy/decision-making variance is large right now

• Holds the ball low and loose in his stance

• Accuracy can dip when he takes speed off his throws

• Can struggle seeing non-primary defenders

WHAT THE PLAYER SAID

Despite having to wait until the third round for his name to be called Milroe was humbled when he heard his name called.

“I know going into this process, my ultimate goal was
to hear my name called and I was able to hear that today so that’s definitely a dream come true.
The best thing about it, I was gathered with family throughout this whole process, ” said Milroe.” It’s definitely
a unique journey, for sure. I know where you can go, but it’s all about that right spot and I know
I’m in the right spot moving forward.”

THE BIG TAKE

The Seahawks drafted three players they connected with on and off the field. Arroyo is the only player out of the three who did not have a 30-player visit with the team.  Schnieder and Macdonald saw enough of an Arroyo to judge that he is a fit for the team. The word for  Day Two of the NFL Draft for the Seahawks is Vibe. The team selected players that will add depth, push for playing time, and continue to build on the urgency and energy Macdonald built in his first year.

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