Nick Emmanwori is a safety on the Seahawks roster, but it has become impossible to actually define his position.

At various points in Sunday's win over the Vikings, the rookie out of South Carolina was lined up on the line of scrimmage like a defensive end. Other times, he was lined up as a linebacker, while other times still he was in a more traditional nickel defensive back role.

On any given play, Emmanwori can be taking on a 300-plus pound offensive tackle, or he can, as was the case on a third-down play that nearly ended with his first interception, he can play lockdown coverage on Justin Jeffrson, an All-Pro receiver.

"We had him at 9-technique, 5-technique, he's playing the slot," Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. "We're putting a lot on his plate. That's part of my message to him, 'You've got a lot on your plate, there's a lot of expectations, and rightfully so, you've earned those opportunities. Go prepare your tail off so you can play the brand of ball you want to play. Then go let it rip, and if something happens throughout the game, we'll fix it or we'll put you out of that situation, but just go to the next one and keep rolling.'"

Macdonald has coached plenty of great defensive backs over the years, and in Baltimore he had another versatile safety in Kyle Hamilton, who was a first-team All-Pro playing in Macdonald's defense in 2023, but Seattle's head coach has never seen a player quite like Emmanwori.

"We've never really had a player like him, so we are kind of making it up as we go to a certain extent," Macdonald said. "I hate to admit that, but we kind of are."

It might seem like a lot to put on a rookie's plate, but Emmanwori welcomes the challenge.

"I think it's up to the beholder, whatever I can take," he said. "I think I'm a special type of player, special type of guy. I think I can handle it. That just may be my confidence talking, and I may look back and be like, 'Wow, I was really doing a lot.' But right now, I know I can handle it and I know I can do it. So it just depends on the person."

After missing most of the opener and the following three games with an ankle injury, Emmanwori has thrived while becoming an every-down chess piece in Macdonald's defense. Emmanwori has 47 tackles, eight passes defensed, four tackles for loss and half a sack, and he gives Macdonald and the rest of the coaching staff unusual flexibility in nickel and dime packages because he can do so many different things.

A big reason why Emmanwori can do so many things is his rare combination of physical traits. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Emmanwori moves and hits like a big safety or a smaller off-ball linebacker, but he also has 4.38-second 40-yard dash speed, and posted impressive testing numbers at the NFL scouting combine, including an 11-foot, 6-inch broad jump and a 43-inch vertical leap. In addition to the raw speed and power, Emmanwori also credits a childhood playing soccer with improving his agility and footwork.

"Nick's a different guy, man, in every way," said linebacker Ernest Jones IV, a fellow South Carolina product like Emmanwori. "His personality, he came into this team and this defense, and there's a lot of different guys in that room, but he fit in just perfect. And he's a freak, man. We look at him and be like, 'Bro, there's no way you're 6-3, 200-something pounds and doing the things that you're doing.'"

But physical traits aren't enough to get the job done in the NFL, especially not when a coaching staff is asking you to play multiple positions as a rookie. And Emmanwori's intelligence and desire to be great are also big factors in his ability to thrive in such a big role as a rookie.

"I think it's a combination of things," Macdonald said. "One, is just his overall intelligence allows him to do it. I think he's really determined to not let his teammates down so he can be on his stuff. And he's an ambitious guy, he's competitive, he wants to make an impact while he's out there. He understands that we want to let that come to life, so in order to do that, you've got to be on your stuff, be on your details. It's a lot of time investment too that he's willing to put in as well. So it's a combination of things."

As Macdonald explained, Emmanwori's multiple roles on defense requires him to spend time with different position groups and different coaches. Safeties coach Jeff Howard and defensive passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Karl Scott spend the most time with Emmanwori, but as Macdonald explained, defensive coordinator Aden Durde and outside linebackers coach Chris Partridge are also working with Emmanwori when it comes to the stuff he is doing at the line of scrimmage.

"This is kind of an all-hands-on-deck thing," Macdonald said.

For Emmanwori, playing multiple positions is something he expected coming into the league, and it's a challenge he is embracing.

"I think it' s just more about soaking up the game," he said. "I'm a young player, it's my first year, but in my mind, I want to succeed so fast and succeed so bad, it's like, I've got to take my time and just understand the details of the game and different aspects of, I'm playing different roles and just trying to be every-down player and every-situation type of player. So I've just got to understand that and just get better at that, which I think I've been doing."

When it comes to lining up like a defensive end, Emmanwori said, "Yeah, that's super new. As far as just getting keys for what's going on, like, with the tackle, if the tackles fanning out, do this, or if he's blocking out, do that. What to look for, my progressions and stuff, that's super new. I never really did none of that stuff in college. In high school I rushed off the edge a little bit, dibble-dabbled in a little bit of stuff, so it's not super new, but it's petty new for me as far as the NFL level."

And while it may seem like Emmanwori is taking on a big challenge as a rookie, he wouldn't want it any other way.

"I think that's just what I do honestly," he said. "That's just how I've always been all my life, just super multiple, kind of positionless, versatile, it's just what I do."