Mel Kiper calls South Carolina defender "exactly what NFL defensive coordinators love"
South Carolina defensive back Nick Emmanwori has been a good player throughout his entire time in garnet and black. The Columbia-area native was a Freshman All-American in 2022 and was good in 2023. However, the Gamecock junior has taken his game to a new level this fall.
Emmanwori’s strong play has caught the eye of the NFL and NFL Draft analysts.
Perhaps the most famous NFL Draft voice, ESPN’s Mel Kiper, spoke glowingly of the Gamecock defender. In his most recent NFL Draft Big Board rankings, Kiper listed Emmanwori as the 25th-best player ahead of April’s draft, good for a 1st-round grade.
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According to Kiper, “[Emmanwori’s] size-speed combination is exactly what NFL defensive coordinators love on the back end.” Kiper also added, “He jumps off the tape, and his ball skills are tremendous.”
Emmanwori’s statistical production backs up Kiper’s claim.
He is a very good tackler. Emmanwori’s 85 tackles in 2022 were the 8th-best in the SEC. Despite dealing with some injuries in 2023 (therefore, missing one game completely and all but one drive of another), he still logged 71 stops, a number good for a top-15 showing in the conference. So far in 2024, Emmanwori is one of just 10 SEC defenders averaging at least seven tackles per game.
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He’s also developed into an elite pass defender. Of his six career interceptions, Emmanwori has four of them so far in 2024. No one else in the conference matches that number. Twice, he scored on those interceptions. South Carolina football fans know, too, that the junior playmaker had another pick-six taken off the board due to a questionable penalty against LSU. In situations where Emmanwori has been directly challenged by opposing quarterbacks (both in man and zone coverages), No. 7 has allowed 11-for-22 passing and just 86 yards over seven games. He has surrendered zero touchdowns but has been responsible for five takeaways—four interceptions and one fumble recovery—and two official pass breakups. The only “long” completion he has allowed this season came on a play he caught a cramp.
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Physically, Emmanwori is a freak who already looks like an NFL stud. Listed at 6’3″ and 227 pounds, he is one of the fastest players on the team and has been clocked running as fast as 22 miles per hour. He has been a very successful safety in college and has the makeup of a guy who can be an impact player both in the box and playing over the top in coverage.
The 2025 NFL Draft will take place from April 24th-April 26th in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
