From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori.
#7 Nick Emmanwori/S South Carolina – 6’3, 225 pounds (Junior)
Measurements
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Nick Emmanwori | 6-3/225 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
The Good
– Can play in the box due to good size
– Good play recognition in zone coverage to identify route concepts and defend
– Plays with good eyes in zone coverage
– Good ball skills and displays ability to return interceptions for six
– Aggressive in attacking ball in the air
– Good coverage technique in man
– Breaks on routes quickly with no false steps
– Ability to line up at strong or free safety
– Good physicality in off-man coverage
– Good speed in open field
– Good closing speed fitting the run
– Good play strength
– Takes good angles to cut off a lateral-moving ball carrier
– High pedigree, veteran player who has played in big games his whole career
The Bad
– Average athletic ability
– Slower hip movement and changing direction
– Late reacting to ball carriers’ cuts
– Bad eyes as a downhill run defender
– Needs to get deeper depth in zone coverage to cover deep crossers behind him
– Double moves give him trouble
– Needs more aggressiveness getting off blocks
– Needs to take better angles as a downhill run defender
– Can lose balance and fall in the open field
– Static feet and can be beat by a speedy receiver
– Needs to break down before tackling and get lower in the open field
Bio
– 36 games started across three seasons at South Carolina
– 2024: 88 tackles, 3 TFL’s, 5 PBU’s, 4 INT’s, two for touchdowns
– Named First-Team All-American and First-Team All-SEC
– Tabbed the 2024 Safety of the Year, SEC Player of the Year, and SEC Defensive Player of the Year (College Football Nation)
– One of three players in the country to return two interceptions for touchdowns
– 2023: 71 tackles, 10 PBU’s, 2 INTs playing at safety or nickel
– Named to SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
– 2022: 85 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PBU
– Named First-Team Freshman All-American (ESPN)
– Given First-Team Freshman All-SEC (Coaches)
– Played middle linebacker out of Irmo High School in South Carolina
– Three-star prospect who was given First-Team All-State $A honors
– Ranked the sixth best player in South Carolina a top 30 linebacker in the country (Rivals)
– Emmanwori spent his Thanksgiving break passing out turkeys and desserts to 100 families in Irmo, his hometown
Tape Breakdown
Nick Emmanwori is a longtime starter at South Carolina with a lot of game experience. He plays with good IQ in pass coverage, and he clearly understands the system and how to execute it. While he is not an overwhelming athlete, the technique he plays man coverage with is a positive, and he has a good break on shorter routes when guarding speedy receivers. He plays with good physicality down the field, and when he is catching receivers in man, he knows how to knock them off their route with good technique. He has no wasted movement when covering someone 1v1, as shown on this play.
Emmanwori’s ball skills can be game-changing, and they show up in the brightest moments, like on this play against LSU late in a close game.
Emmanwori can survive in man coverage, but I worry that his slower movement skills will not translate very well against speedy receivers in the NFL. Teams noticed this and started running double moves at him, where he did not have the hip movement to catch up with them. I think if a team schemes a way to have him in man vs. a fast slot receiver, he will not be able to catch up to a deep route. In this play, the ball is overthrown at the top of the screen, but Emmanwori is severely beaten.
He plays with good eyes in zone coverage and sticks to his assignment. Emmanwori does a good job of understanding passing concepts and getting to his spot, especially when moving downhill. He has the versatility to line up at strong or free safety and can play as a hook defender or a deep third. Emmanwori needs to work on the depth he must get to if his coverage assignment leaves in match coverage. His man will run a shallow, and he has no one to cover but does not move back in time to defend a deep crosser.
In the run game, Emmanwori is a positive player who will service a defense by sticking to his gap and having good closing speed when in his run fit. One of the best things he does is force lateral ball carriers out of bounds, taking great angles as a lateral mover. He does a good job of flowing to the ball and making good tackles, especially when he is unblocked. He can turn a 6-yard gain into a 2-yard gain by being aggressive, which is key to defending the run as a safety. On this play, he is in the box and realizes he is unblocked, then makes a play to stuff the running back at the line of scrimmage.
Emmanwori has the size to line up in the box, but I would like to see him be more aggressive in getting off blocks by using his hands. Another thing that worries me is his eyes, which are surprisingly bad compared to his eyes in zone coverage. He is seen locking onto one thing and completely dismissing a play going the other way. Here, at the bottom of the screen, he reads his keys for too long and can give up explosives coming to his side of the field.
Conclusion
While Emmanwori is a solid player with a lot of experience, his lack of athleticism makes me worry about his role at the next level. I do not fully trust him in man coverage, and although he plays with good technique and good physicality, his speed down the field worries me. He fits the run well but is inconsistent in that area as well. I believe he will live as a strong safety who will be in zone a lot while guarding tight ends and slower receivers when needed. Emmanwori does many things that teams will like, but his athletic ability will hinder his ceiling at the next level. My comp for him is Terrell Edmunds.
Projection: Early Day 2
Depot Draft Grade: 8.0 – Third Round (Potential Starter/Good Backup)
Games Watched: vs LSU (2024), vs Ole Miss (2024), at Alabama (2024), at Clemson (2024)
