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The Pittsburgh Steelers have quite the decision to make with the 21st pick during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. In a few weeks, the Steelers will be on the clock, and know one if sure if they will take a quarterback, running back, defensive lineman or something else. Each of those positions seems to be a priority that will be addressed in the draft. A position that did not seem to be as much of a need is safety, as there have not been many mock drafts with Pittsburgh selecting a safety in the first round. However, the Steelers recently had a Top 30 pre-draft visit with South Carolina defender Nick Emmanwori.
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Former South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori during a collegiate game.
Emmanwori, during his time at South Carolina, was a difference-maker on the defensive side of the ball. During his three seasons as a Gamecock, Emmanwori displayed his abilities as a ball-hawk and an open-field tackler. Over three years, Emmanwori gathered 166 solo tackles and six interceptions.
Emmanwori's highest solo tackle season came during his freshman year when he recorded 62 solo tackles. His best season in coverage came during his final season as a Gamecock. Emmanwori recorded four interceptions in 2024, returning two of them for touchdowns. His two interceptions returned for touchdowns led the FBS.
Being able to have a player on the defensive side of the ball who can be dynamic with the ball in his hands is special. A lot of players are capable of being shutdown corners or ball-hawking safeties, but not every player has the ability to turn turnovers into points.
Not only did Emmanwori put together a solid resumé at South Carolina, but he was also impressive at the NFL Combine. NFL Draft analyst Field Yates believes Emmanwori will be selected somewhere in the 20s during the NFL draft.
"I think he ends up probably somewhere in the 20 to 25 range," Yates said. "They just don't make players like Nick Emmanwori... Nick Emmanwori was on the very short list for most impressive humans that you saw at the combine... When in doubt, the NFL in the draft will often defer to bigger, faster, stronger. Well, at safety this year, none bigger, none faster, none stronger."
At the combine, Emmanwori measured in at 6'3" tall while weighing 220 pounds. In the events Emmanwori participated in, he ranked first among all safeties except for the 40-yard dash. Emmanwori had the second-fastest time of all the safeties and was only slower by one one-hundredth of a second.
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Former South Carolina Safety Nick Emmanwori returning an interception for a touchdown.
As Yates stated, the NFL sometimes comes down to who is just the biggest, fastest, and strongest. So, if the Steelers are considering a safety in the first round, it should be Emmanwori. His physical attributes, along with his coverage skills, would allow him to adapt to the NFL game quickly. This is what a team wants from its first-round pick: someone who would be able to adapt quickly and make an impact right away, which seems like it won't be a problem for Emmanwori.
Steelers Could Use Another Good Safety In Secondary
Currently, the Steelers' starting safeties are Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott. Pittsburgh also acquired safety Juan Thornhill this offseason, so many did not believe the position to be in need of this upcoming draft. Even after spending a lot of time with Malaki Starks during the Georgia Bulldogs Pro Day, nobody truly thought of safety as a priority for Pittsburgh.
Kim Klement Neitzel / USA Today
University of Georgia safety Malaki Starks on the field during a collegiate football contest.
Thornhill signed a one-year deal with the Steelers, and Elliot is on the final year of his two-year deal. So, as they are both currently on the roster, there is no certainty that either of them will be with the Steelers next season. Fitzpatrick is still under contract for the next two seasons, so the Steelers more than likely won't be moving on from him anytime soon.
But with the other two safeties on one-year deals, it would not hurt for Pittsburgh to bring in their replacement this year. Especially if you have the opportunity of drafting a freak athlete like Emmanwori or a high IQ guy like Starks.
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