South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori predicted blazing 40 time at NFL Combine. How’d he do?
Nick Emmanwori is no stranger to making predictions.
Last summer, when USC was coming off a 5-7 season and expectations were tame, the South Carolina safety came out and declared that the Gamecocks defense was about to be “historic.” It felt like a stretch. And, well, Emmanwori was right.
So it should have been no surprise that when Emmanwori arrived at the NFL Combine this week in Indianapolis, he began shouting prophecies.
Emmanwori, one of the biggest safeties at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, said he expected to run the 40-yard dash in the “4.3s.” For reference: No safety at the 2024 NFL Combine ran the 40 in under 4.40 seconds.
Sure enough, Emmanwori was right again.
The Irmo native turned into Nostradamus, blazing down the field on his second attempt in 4.38 seconds.
“He’s done it all,” NFL Network host Rich Eisen said on the broadcast.
Perhaps even more impressive: Emmanwori recorded an 11-foot, 6-inch broad jump and a vertical leap of 43 inches, the highest mark of anyone over 200 pounds in NFL Combine history, per Next Gen Stats.
“This is not just a (good) tester,” said NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah. “He’s an outstanding football player who’s play on the field is what’s going to get him into the first round — not just what we saw out here today.”
Emmanwori’s performance on Friday should only elevate his draft stock, which has already been climbing since he finished his junior season with 88 tackles, three tackles for loss, four interceptions and a pair of pick-6s.
A number of mock drafts have begun to slot Emmanwori as a first-round pick. A number of outlets — including Yahoo Sports and The Athletic — project the Buffalo Bills to select the former Gamecock with 30th-overall pick. CBS Sports has Emmanwori coming off the board even quicker, going to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 18.
ESPN’s draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. also thinks Emmanwori will be a first-rounder, mocking the Baltimore Ravens to take him with the 27th-overall pick.
“This guy is going to catch everyone’s eye during combine workouts,” Kiper wrote of Emmanwori earlier this week. “His explosiveness at 6-2, 227 pounds is special. But he’s far more than his traits, having hauled in four interceptions this past season.”
The fact that Emmanwori is in position to be South Carolina’s 12th first-round pick since 2000 is astonishing. Aside from USC, only Charlotte, Georgia Southern and Richmond thought enough of Emmanwori to extend him a scholarship offer.
There was even thought that he might transition to linebacker in college because almost no one as big as Emmanwori plays safety.
Instead, Emmanwori saw the field immediately and went on to start 36 games in just three seasons at South Carolina, becoming an All-American as a junior.
The only sour spot of Emmanwori’s career came at the end, when he opted out of the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl at halftime without giving head coach Shane Beamer or others any heads up.
But that’s in the past. Emmanwori will soon be another face on the Williams-Brice Stadium scoreboard with the heading “Gamecocks in the NFL.”
This story was originally published February 28, 2025 at 5:40 PM.
