Nick Emmanwori

[c_hawkbob]

We traded up to pick Nick Emmanwori, Safety out of South Carolina! On NFLN they're talking about him as a faster Cam Chancellor!

[c_hawkbob]

Nick Emmanwori is a towering, physically imposing safety with a linebacker-like presence. He’s a reliable tackler who delivers punishing hits with control, though sharp cutbacks can occasionally cause misses. His wide tackling radius and decisive run-lane fills highlight his physicality and sharp recognition skills.

Best suited as a box safety or hybrid linebacker, Emmanwori excels against tight ends but struggles against shifty slot receivers. His plant-and-drive ability is impressive, though his lateral agility is less refined.

His standout trait is explosive acceleration and top-end speed, allowing him to close ground quickly on WR screens or deep routes. He disrupts plays -- particularly outside runs and WR screens -- with power, speed, and sharp instincts.

With outstanding ball skills and consistent positioning, Emmanwori is an ideal fit for teams seeking a classic strong safety. However, his success hinges on a role that maximizes his strengths, as he’s not scheme-transcendent. Proper utilization will unlock his full potential.

CBS Sports is giving us a A for this pick.

[Stream Hawk]

Unreal draft so far! I was a little concerned he dropped. But I’d have been happy as hell to get him yesterday at 18. Nick could be ridiculous under coach Mike.

[c_hawkbob]

Evidently we used the #52 pick and a swap of pick positions in the third to trade up so we still have all 8 of our picks left.

[NorthHawk]

6’3 220lbs with 4.38 speed and a 43 inch vertical.
Yah, I think he can help especially against today’s athletic pass catching TE’s.

[jshawaii22]

Nice trade, if we really only gave up our pick for DK and one of our thirds for evidently is the 2nd best safety in the draft. If he's 90% of Kam, we win.
However... what Miami got in that Guard from Arizona on the next pick could of been our bookend Guards for a decade.
(fyi: if NFL network is correct, Miami paid more to move up then the Seahawks, do good job JS! )

[NorthHawk]

Evidently we used the #52 pick and a swap of pick positions in the third to trade up so we still have all 8 of our picks left.

I couldn’t find that info anywhere. Where did you find that?

[c_hawkbob]

Evidently we used the #52 pick and a swap of pick positions in the third to trade up so we still have all 8 of our picks left.

I couldn’t find that info anywhere. Where did you find that?

NFLN live draft coverage, so verbal only so far

[NorthHawk]

Thank you.

[c_hawkbob]

Thank you.

Sure!

So far everything I read (pre-draft analysis) has him a 1st rounder and the best S on the board.

[4XPIPS]

Was projected to possibly go in the 1st. Pegged as a starter to fill in where Rayshawn was playing, happy to see him be our Kyle Hamilton of the Hawks D

[NorthHawk]

Yeah, it will be interesting to see how MacDonald uses him in his Defense.

[TriCitySam]

The Athletic calls this "the best pick of the draft so far"

[govandals]

Not sure how I feel about Emmanwori, supposedly there are legit character concerns which is not a JS thing lately. I don't get the Kam comparison, Emmanwori doesn't play like Kam. Same position and somewhat the same size, Emmanwori is a better athlete than Kam, he is smooth and more of a fluid mover than Kam. Also, South Carolina moved him all around the secondary.

Obviously, they traded up for him so they really like him, hopefully Macdonald can get the best out of him.

[River Dog]

Not sure how I feel about Emmanouil, supposedly there are legit character concerns which is not a JS thing lately. I don't get the Kam comparison, Emmanwori doesn't play like Kam. Same position and somewhat the same size, Emmanwori is a better athlete than Kam, he is smooth and more of a fluid mover than Kam. Also, South Carolina moved him all around the secondary.

Obviously, they traded up for him so they really like him, hopefully Macdonald can get the best out of him.

The comparison with Kam is due to the fact that both are hybrid linebackers/safeties and are both almost exactly the same height and weight. Emmanwori has a lot of experience under his belt, 36 games in the SEC and has started since he was a freshman. He's a freakish athlete, ran a 4.38 40, had a 42" vertical leap, should make a very similar strong safety to what we had when Kam was in his prime.

He was projected to go in the mid first round, so sacrificing one of our 2-3rd rounders to move up 15 spots to grab him at #35 is a good use of draft capital. It's nice to go into a draft with as many picks as we have as it allows us to be opportunistic when a player like him drops unexpectedly.

Obviously, the proof will be in the pudding, but I like this pick. I don't see it as a reach.

[govandals]

The comparison with Kam is due to the fact that both are hybrid linebackers/safeties and are both almost exactly the same height and weight.

Well, yes, I understand that, that's pretty much what I said in my original post. And for me that's where the comparison ends. Emannwori does not play with the physicality or violence of Kam. There is no intimidation factor with Emannwori. I've watched hundreds and hundreds of his snaps, he is a good tackler, I've seen the occasional big hit from him, but not the bone crunching type hits Kam frequently delivered.

I'm not saying he is a bad player at all, I look forward to seeing how Macdonald deploys him. Stylistically, he's not Kam, though. I think more Derwin James.

[NorthHawk]

I think with the rule changes and how quick the Referees are to throw flags for any hard hit, Kam and others like Easley and Atwater couldn’t really play their game today. So now we have big Safeties who can also keep up with the WRs and TEs but have real good ball skills. In this case it seems to me the comparison is largely physical size and it’s not Pete Carroll’s Defense in how it’s designed.

[River Dog]

I think with the rule changes and how quick the Referees are to throw flags for any hard hit, Kam and others like Easley and Atwater couldn’t really play their game today. So now we have big Safeties who can also keep up with the WRs and TEs but have real good ball skills. In this case it seems to me the comparison is largely physical size and it’s not Pete Carroll’s Defense in how it’s designed.

The book on him is that he plays physical and will match up well against tight ends and running backs, just like Kam, so I do think that the comparison applies to their style of play as well as physical characteristics.

I'm excited to see him in action. Of all our picks, he's the one I'm most enamored with. He's supposedly a good run defender, something we desperately need out of our secondary. Expect us to deploy a 3 high safety look, featuring Julian Love, Coby Bryant, and Emmanwori. He should make up for us being a little weak at the LB position.