By Mazvita Maraire Posted on

Three rookies who could make a big impact fro the Seahawks  against the 49ers

Sunday’s opener against the  49ers will be the first real test for the Seahawks’ highly touted draft class and undrafted rookie free agent class. It is not certain that all the elven rookies on the Seahawks’ 53-man roster will play in Sunday’s game.   The number will shrink to 48 players at kick-off. Of the eleven drafted and rookie free agents, look for S Nick Emmanwori,  RG Gray Zabel, and  WR Tory Horton to make the most significant impacts.

GRAY ZABEL

This is the easiest one. The Seahawks used their 1st round pick, 25th overall, on the South Dakota native and have not looked back. Zabel fit the part from day one. The speed of the game has not been too fast, and he showed he has the physicality to make an impact in the NFL instantly. Zabel played  39 snaps in the preseason and was given an 86.5 overall blocking percentage by Pro Football Reference. PFF gave him an 82.3 passing grade and a 72.9 rating in run block.  The Niners were 18th against the run last year and made significant changes, bringing back Robert Salah as the defensive coordinator.

BEEFED UP FRONT


In addition to bringing back Salah, the Niners revamped their defensive interior, bringing in Bryce Huff,  Jordan Elliot, and Rookies Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins.  Abe Lucas, Zabel, and the rest of the O-line will have to work in unison to minimize Nick Bosa. Bosa is a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and a five-time Pro Bowler.

 NICK EMMONWARI

General manager John Schneider and the company moved up to draft Emmanwori in the second round, 35th overall, and raved about what a find he was. The  Seahawks fell in love with his  6’3  220 size and physical attributes. The envisioned role for him is moving him around on defense as both a box safety and a pass coverage safety. And that is precisely what they did in the preseason. Emmanwori played 24 defensive snaps in the preseason and received an overall grade of 56.3 in the two preseason games he played. 

He earned a 70.4  grade in the  Raiders get and a 44.7 rating in the Chiefs game.  The biggest disparity in the two games was the run defense versus the pass defense.  He graded 75.8 in run defense, 49.3 in coverage, and   57.2 in pass rush. The fact that he did not participate in the Green Bay game indicates that Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde are satisfied with his progress.

FIRST NFL GAME

 To deliver a good performance in his first NFL game, Emmanwori will need to have a balance of excitement while not making the moment any bigger than it is.

“ Man, I’ll try to be cool with it, you know, try, you know, be relaxed and be cool, which, you know, I still am, at the same time, like, I can’t really, I hold any excitement for it was my first in the NFL game and you know, you see stuff like that, you know, just on TV, now I’m actually going to be playing in the game, so I’m really excited, you know. It actually do a lot of different things, “said Emmanwori after Friday’s practice

AN OPPORTUNITY  FOR TORY HORTON.

With wide receiver Jake Bobo sidelined for the Niners game due to a concussion, punt return duties and possible snaps at the wide receiver are available for Horton.

Much like Emmanwori the Seahawks felt fortunate that Horton was available when they drafted him in the 5th round with the 166th pick overall.  After back-to-back 1,00 plus receiving yards years at Colorado State, Horton’s senior year was cut short due to a knee injury. An impressive combine was enough for the Seahawks to bring him to the Northwest.

STEADY IMPROVEMENT

Horton dispatched any lingering doubt when he beat out Marques Valdez-Scantling for a seat in the receivers’ room. A start against the Raiders saw him impress with three receptions for  31 yards, one touchdown, and a fair catch of his only punt return duty. He earned a 75.1 grade from PFF.

Against the Chiefs, Horton suffered a minor ankle injury after participating in 18 snaps and recording just one catch for 18 yards, and his grade was dipped to 76.8. The injury limited his practice reps, but according to Macdonald, Horton has earned a chance to perform in the Sunday’s game.

“ It’s a challenge for a rookie, but Tory (Horton) has done a great job. Staying up to par, I think Fris (Frisman Jackson) has done a phenomenal job with him, and Jake (Peetz) has too. The rest of the vets in the room are keeping up the speed and keeping the standard high. He’s earned this opportunity and I’m excited to see him play on Sunday.”

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