How will the NFL use Emmanwori’s skill set?
Defenses in the NFL are squarely on the horns of a dilemma.
On one hand, they need to play two deep safeties to curtail the league’s explosive passing attacks. On the other hand, those same coverage shells have heavily contributed to the rejuvenation of rushing attacks around the NFL.
One of the ways in which they’ve combatted the trend is by blurring the line between safeties and linebackers with players who would have been labeled as “tweeners” in pervious years. South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori is the standard bearer for the S/LB hybrid this year, standing 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, but while he’s built like a linebacker he moves like a defensive back.
The New York Giants have used Isaiah Simmons to fill that role in recent years, but could Emmanwori take over the job?
Prospect: Nick Emmanwori (7)
Games Watched: vs. LSU (2024), vs. Ole Miss (2024), vs. Missouri (2024), vs. Clemson (2024)
Measurables
Height: 6-foot-3 (estimated)
Weight: 220 pounds (estimated)
Strengths
Best traits
- Size
- Athleticism
- Versatility
- Ball skills
Nick Emmanwori is a massive yet athletic safety who offers uncommon traits and versatility for the position.
Emmanwori is built more like a linebacker and is listed at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. He looks – and plays up to – that size on the field with excellent strength to take on blockers and power to get big ball carriers on the ground.
His size belies impressive athleticism and movement skills that are definitely more in line with a defensive back than a linebacker. Emmanwori has enough athleticism to effectively cover running backs or tight ends in shallow or deep coverage zones, as well as the size to match up with tight ends in man coverage. He is, unsurprisingly, a bit tall in his backpedal, but is also graceful and quickly able to get good depth in his drops. That allows him to get in position easily while disguising his coverage responsibilities. He also has relatively fluid hips for a safety and is able to carry speed when breaking laterally or transitioning from his backpedal to running down the field.
Emmanwori has good ball skills and makes full use of his size when playing the ball in the air. He’s able to be competitive, and disruptive, at the catch point. He uses his size to shield receivers from the ball when he gains position on them or jar the ball loose at the catch point. He also does a good job of locating and adjusting to the ball, and plays the ball in the air like a big wide receiver.
He has 11 passess defensed in his three years at South Carolina and four (4) interceptions in 2024, two of which he returned for touchdowns.
(It would have been three touchdown returns, except for an excellent acting job by LSU QB Garrett Neussemeier)
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Over-aggression
- Transition from backpedal
Emmanwori is a great athlete, and not just for his size, however his confidence in his own athleticism is also a weakness.
He has a tendency to take overly-aggressive angles to the ball, both in coverage and in the run game. He either overestimates his own speed or underestimates that of his opponent, which can leave him arriving an instant late or behind the ball carrier.
In a related note, Emmanwori is massive for a safety and as such he can be a bit slow out of the transition from his backpedal to driving downhill on the ball. That can impact his timing or delay his break on the ball, which becomes noticeable when he also takes an over-aggressive angle to the ball. That can lead to him either making poor tackle attempts or missing tackles altogether.
Emmanwori lacks truly elite range as a safety, and might not be suited for coverage responsibilities that ask him to cover broad swaths of field. He also appears somewhat uncomfortable when asked to blitz.
Game Tape
(Emmanwori is the South Carolina safety wearing number 7 and tall black socks)
Projection
Nick Emmanwori projects as a starting safety or possibly a safety/linebacker hybrid at the NFL level.
Emmanwori’s blend of size and athleticism presents a number of opportunities for teams to disguise coverages or play nickel and dime packages without sacrificing size on defense. He should be able to play as either a deep or box safety depending on the down, distance, and defensive scheme.
His future team might want to avoid using him as a single-high safety in a Cover-1 defense, but he could easily play strong safety. Otherwise, he could play deep or box safety in most Cover 3 or Middle Of Field Open (MOFO) coverage schemes.
Emmanwori might start out his career as a third safety or Big Nickel option for teams, but he could be difficult to keep off the field – particularly if his ball skills continue to develop and he learns to take smarter angles to the ball.
Does he fit the Giants?
Potentially
Final Word: A Day 2 value
