Chiefs Draft: What South Carolina's Nick Emmanwori Brings to the Table

As the Kansas City Chiefs begin to prepare for next month's NFL Draft, questions will arise about their capabilities of returning to a fourth consecutive Super Bowl next season.

Many key pieces on both sides of the ball will return this season but the depth at several positions may be lacking if they are not addressed soon.

The biggest need on the Chiefs roster is defensive line depth and starters. However, there could be competition at safety after Justin Reid left the team in free agency. Jaden Hicks and Bryan Cook could be the new safety tandem in defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's secondary but Hicks' slot should not be handed to him on a silver platter.

South Carolina Gamecocks safety Nick Emmanwori is an intriguing first-round option for the Chiefs. The former Gamecock has been a key figure in their secondary for the last two seasons before turning in a great season in Columbia, South Carolina that earned his first-team All-American and All-SEC honors in his final collegiate season. Not bad for a former three-star recruit.

Let's take a closer look at that Emmanwori could bring as a prospect to an NFL team like Kansas City.

Strengths

Emmanwori is a player with rare size and and athleticism at 6-foot-3, 223 pounds and a perfect Relative Athletic Score of 10.00. This has allowed him to play many roles in South Carolina's defense whether it be as a box defender, strong safety, or single high.

As a run defender, this is where Emmanwori thrives. His physicality and downhill explosiveness allow him to trigger into rush lanes and gaps and make physical tackles against opposing ball carriers that stop them in their tracks. His football intelligence is impressive here as he does a good job of sifting through the garbage and scraping over the top to make plays in the A-gap or on the perimeter against outside runs.

In pass coverage, Emmanwori shows flashes of being an adequate man defender against opposing tight ends and running backs. He does a great job of zone spacing and squeezing passing windows with his size and reach. He also displays solid pass offs with routes in the middle field high hole and post, deep third responsibility, and the curl flat as an occasional STAR/big nickel defender.

Nick Emmanwori moves well to stay in front of this outbreaker - then moves on to tackle the checkdown pic.twitter.com/xBOt0K8nkT
— Theo Ash (@TheoAshNFL) March 13, 2025

Emamanwori also flashes impressive ball skills due to his length and explosiveness, showing physicality at the catch point and aggression.

Weaknessess

Emmanwori may look like a world-beater on paper but he is far from it. He has shown to have some issues with his control as a tackler and processing against both the pass and run game. In the run game, he has some bad missed tackles due to a lack of control and aggression and his physicality has led to him grasping at the ankles of opposing skill players

There have been times when Emmanwori will get cheated into backfield eye-candy that causes him to abandon his shell responsibility. He will also showcase close vision, causing him to be slower to react to the action happening in front of him.

In coverage, his high-hipped frame forbids him from being fluid enough to take on slot receivers in man coverage. Emmanwori can also get handsy in coverage and draw pass interference or holding penalties.

What Emmanwori could bring for Kansas City

As it has been said numerous times, the Chiefs are one of the best teams in the league in player development, a key reason for their monumental success over the last several years. Emmanwori is one of the best safeties in the NFL Draft and his scouting combine performance may have shot his stock higher to where Kansas City could be out of reach.

However, a team that needs a player who can be an effective run defender and split coverage asset from the box would not only be intrigued by Emmanwori's skill set but his physical and athletic profile as well.

The former All-American would be a welcomed addition to the Chiefs' defense if selected, though he may not start immediately and will require patience as he learns how to speed up his reaction to stimuli and play with more control.

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