If you’re an NFL scout, there’s plenty to like about South Carolina Gamecocks safety Nick Emmanwori. The 6’3″, 220 lb. safety who made Bruce Feldman’s annual ‘Freaks List’ has the sort of size and speed that will make decision makers around the NFL giddy. He was incredibly productive in the SEC, finishing his senior season with 88 tackles, 4 interceptions, and an NCAA-best 2 interception returns for touchdowns. And for good reason, the 21-year-old has supreme confidence in himself.
On Thursday, Nick Emmanwori was asked about the expectations he had for himself at the NFL Combine, and the South Carolina native assured reporters he planned to put up eye-popping numbers in Indianapolis, stating that he’d post a 4.3 40 yard dash time and claiming that he was unlike any other safety the league had ever seen.
“I do think I am one of the fastest. Top three, maybe top five for sure,” Emmanwori told reporters a day before taking the field at the NFL Combine, per Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. “I don’t think you’ve ever seen a safety like me. Well, there are a lot of dudes that came through this league, but a safety like me hasn’t come through this league for a long time. My size, my speed, my ability.”
One day later, when Emmanwori finally got to take the field, he boosted his draft stock even higher, walking the walk just 24 hours after he had talked the talk.
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It’s not just the blistering 40-time that will have scouts talking between now and April 24th. Emmanwori put together one of the greatest NFL Combine performances we’ve ever seen at the annual pre-Draft event, posting elite numbers across the board Kent Lee Platte of RAS Football. Emmanwori’s RAS (Relative Athletic Score) was a perfect 10.0 out of 10.0, making him the highest graded strong safety prospect ever evaluated using these metrics.
In his pre-Combine mock draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. mocked Emmanwori to the Baltimore Ravens with the 27th overall pick, immediately giving the Ravens one of the most terrifying safety duos in the NFL along with Swiss Army Knife superstar Kyle Hamilton. But given Emmanwori’s jaw-dropping Combine performance, it’s entirely possible that he may not make it to the 27th pick.
