Pair of South Carolina football products named NFL "rookies to watch" by ESPN's Field Yates
South Carolina football saw five players selected in this April’s NFL Draft, all from the defensive side of the football. As impressive as that is, several other Gamecock defenders had draftable grades but signed, instead, as undrafted free agents. With all of that defensive talent making its way from Columbia to the NFL, it’s no surprise that multiple USC products have been receiving some recent hype.
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On Monday, ESPN’s Field Yates published a story called “Ranking 2025 NFL rookie impact for non-Round 1 draft picks.” In his piece, Yates included a pair of South Carolina defenders, ranking them both in his top four among defensive rookies drafted after round one. Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (No. 2) and Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Demetrius Knight (No. 4) received the honor.
Said Yates about Emmanwori, “Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald maximizes the talent of safeties, and few safeties have entered the NFL with Emmanwori’s physical traits. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder has 4.38 speed and explosiveness. The Seahawks moving up the board for him signals they believe Emmanwori can fit in somewhere from the jump. He certainly has the speed and range to play center field, but I also see the size and physicality to play in the box as a “big nickel” safety/linebacker hybrid.”
And about Knight, “Cincinnati has worked to overhaul its defense this offseason and found a plug-and-play starter in Knight, whose hard-hitting, physical nature should bring an attitude adjustment to the Bengals’ D. Knight finished his college career at South Carolina and was around the ball often. He had three forced fumbles, a pair of sacks, and an interception last season. Remember, Germaine Pratt requested a trade, too. So there could be plenty of snaps on the table for Knight.”
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After falling out of the first round in somewhat unexpected fashion, Emmanwori didn’t last long in the second. The Seahawks traded up to get him, and that doesn’t usually happen that early in the draft unless a team thinks they can get a guy who can play early. That, combined with Emmanwori’s versatility and athleticism, makes it easy to see why Yates included him on his list.
Knight should have a clear path to playing time, too. The second-round selection brings an ideal blend of size and speed to the Cincinnati linebacker room. He also owns elite intangibles as one of the draft’s top leaders and character profiles. Knight will make an impact on the Bengals, and he could do so quickly.
Full NFL minicamps will begin the first week of June. Then, the Hall of Fame Game will kick off the preseason on July 31st. The NFL regular season will begin Thursday, September 5th.
