Why South Carolina's Nick Emmanwori Wasn't Selected Day One of the NFL Draft

Why South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori was not selected during the first round of the NFL draft.

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; South Carolina defensive back Nick Emmanwori (DB40) during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tanner Pearson-Imagn Images / Tanner Pearson-Imagn Images

Why South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori was not selected during the first round of the NFL draft.

The first round of the 2025 NFL draft took place on Thursday and the South Carolina Gamecocks did not have a player selected within the first 32 picks. Safety Nick Emmanwori appeared to be slated to be selected at some point in the first round, but never heard his name called. Here is why Emmanwori was not selected.

First off, there was only one safety taken during the first round. Georgia's Malaki Starks was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the back half of the first round. That indicates teams were not looking to take safeties off the board and feel as if they can hold out and wait for their next turn in the order.

It was a big round for the lines of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Eight offensive linemen were selected and nine defensive linemen/EDGE in the first round. That is over half of the picks allotted in the first round of the draft.

As the draft heads into the second day, which will feature rounds two and three, it seems very likely that Emmanwori will have his name called. The standout Gamecock still left a very strong impression on NFL organizations at the NFL co

Emmanwori was a very decorated athelte during his time at South Carolina. He was named a 2024 First-Team All-American by the AP, a 2024 unanimous first team All-SEC member and was also voted safety of the year in 2024 by College Football Nation.

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