Safety Nick Emmanwori Goes Through the Motions

I’ve been hearing a lot of hype about South Carolina Safety Nick Emmanwori, so I thought it would be good for me to do a full season evaluation of this defensive prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft.

It takes a lot for me to put a first-round grade on a safety to begin with. I’ve only done it once (Jalen Pitre) since jumping back into the evaluation game in 2021. Safeties are important. They are the last line of defense. With that being said, there are four non-negotiable traits safeties HAVE TO HAVE to receive a first-round grade from me.

Want

Speed

Tackling ability

Instincts

There is no question Emmanwori “looks the part,” but can he play it?

Allow me to answer that question by unpacking these four traits as they relate to Emmanwori.

Want

This spells the difference between making a tackle and allowing the big play.

The level of want makes all the difference for safeties.

Emmanwori’s “want” is low.

He has all the tools, but it was clear that he could take or leave it. This showed up on all the plays he made tackles on running plays from the side, or he waited until the running back reached his level downfield to even think about getting involved.

This “reluctance” could also be seen on film with all the times Emmanwori didn’t get over in time to help corners in the deep halves of the field in pass coverage, and he was just seen going half speed to get into position. To his credit, he got over in time to provide deep help once.

Speed

4.38

That’s the 40-yard dash time he put up at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, but that’s not how it looked when he was providing support, and providing run and pass tackling support is paramount for safeties.

He obviously can run fast, and it showed when he was locked up in man coverage (defender covers a specific offensive skill-position player for the entire duration of a play). Emmanwori can keep up with almost anybody he’s locked up against on straight-line routes.

Tackling ability

An inconsistent tackling safety is like having a leaky roof.

His 88 combined tackles this past season make it sound like he’s a tackling machine, but unless someone watches the tape and sees the missed and “should’ve had” tackles when he instead let his foot off the gas, the big picture is clouded. Pro Football Focus credits Emmanwori with seven missed tackles in 2024.

He’s not a dependable tackler.

Instincts

Emmanwori did not look like a natural safety on game film.

He was too easy to manipulate, and despite his size and speed, he was not in a position to make much of a difference when the ball was in the air. He logged four interceptions and two pass-breakups in 2024.

NFL Projection

Emmanwori strikes me as a very selfish player who doesn’t like to provide help, and that’s the job of a safety. If anything, I preferred him in the role of an oversized nickel cornerback where he could just focus on using his God-given size and speed to match up.

I still would not recommend him to an NFL team.

#7 Nick Emmanwori 6-foot-3, 220 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Final NFL Draft Grade: Fourth-Round (I wouldn’t select him)

Projected by 41.1% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of April 14, 2025

2024 game film evaluated: Old Dominion, Kentucky, LSU, Akron, Ole Miss, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Wofford, Clemson, and Illinois (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Comp: LaRon Landry

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Well-built multi-positional defensive back with good speed and a lackluster motor. Work out warrior. Plays small. Capable of good lateral and horizontal range. Vulnerable to being moved with play-action fakes by quarterbacks. Too reactive in zone coverage. Below-average ball instincts. Inconsistent keeping his eyes in the backfield when roaming in centerfield, but when he did, he was at his best. Tends to come in low when tackling. No big-time shots. Can quit a play too early. Rolled down in the box a lot. Soft goal-line run defense.

Final words

Emmanwori doesn’t play like football is important to him.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.