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New York Times
26-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Seahawks draft safety Nick Emmanwori: How he fits, draft grade and scouting intel
The Seattle Seahawks have bolstered their secondary by trading up and selecting South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori with the No. 35 pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Seattle sent pick Nos. 52 and 82 to the Tennessee Titans in order to make the pick. Emmanwori saw his draft stock rise following a junior season in which he earned first-team All-America honors from the Associated Press and first-team All-SEC honors. He was also a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, presented to the top defensive back in college football. Emmanwori led the Gamecocks in tackles (88) while showcasing his ballhawking skills with four interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. Over three seasons at South Carolina, Emmanwori totaled 244 tackles and had six interceptions. Advertisement The 6-feet-3, 220-pound safety's best game of the season came at the outset of South Carolina's six-game winning streak leading into its Cheez-It Citrus Bowl appearance. Against Oklahoma, he had 11 tackles and two interceptions — one of which was a 65-yard pick six. Emmanwori tested well at February's NFL Scouting Combine to keep up the positive momentum going. At the event in Indianapolis, he posted the top marks at his position in the 10-yard split (1.49 seconds), vertical jump (43 inches), broad jump (11 feet, six inches) and bench press (20 reps) and the second-best time in the 40-yard dash (4.38 seconds). Emmanwori ranked No. 17 in Dane Brugler's top 300 big board. Here's what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide: 'Emmanwori does a nice job reading route concepts in underneath coverages, and he will make plays on the ball with his reaction quickness. Some of his reads and angles are inconsistent from depth, but he keys quickly from the box and plays with physicality. Overall, Emmanwori has the size, speed and mindset to play a variety of roles, although he projects best near the line of scrimmage, where he can blitz, be an eraser against the run and man up with tight ends and backs in coverage. He has the floor of an adequate starter and special-teamer, but his ceiling is exciting and will put him high on NFL teams' safety stack.' What an anonymous coach had to say about Emmanwori in Bruce Feldman's mock draft: 'He's as big as some defensive ends in college and faster than anyone on the field. He's got so much range, it gives you a lot to worry about. There's some inconsistency there with him on the film, but you just don't see guys this size or this athletic.' TO THE🏡 — Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) October 19, 2024 This is the best pick of the draft. Few players are as athletic or as potentially impactful as Emmanwori (6-foot-3 1/8, 220 pounds). He was a first-team All-American last year with two pick sixes, four interceptions overall and a team-high 88 tackles for South Carolina. Over three seasons in Columbia, Emmanwori started 36 games and affected the game in every facet. He's a physical tackler with impressive speed (4.38 seconds in the 40). Grade: A+ Emmanwori is a big defensive back at 6-3 and 220 pounds. His pre-draft testing earned him a perfect Relative Athletic Score. That's a special combination of size, strength and athleticism, which is why he projects as a player who will excel near the line of scrimmage. There's a natural spot for such a player in Mike Macdonald's defense as a 'big nickel,' a personnel grouping Seattle often used last season. Macdonald likes that unit in part because he can match 11 personnel with five defensive backs but also defend the run, since the third safety in that situation is typically a very physical player. That's where Emmanwori comes in. — Michael-Shawn Dugar Advertisement Seattle has its starting safeties in Julian Love and Coby Bryant, but the latter is on an expiring deal, and the team doesn't have promising depth at that spot after missing on Rayshawn Jenkins and K'Von Wallace in free agency last offseason (Jerrick Reed II is still an unproven commodity). D'Anthony Bell was signed in free agency this offseason as safety depth, but taking a flier on the former Cleveland Brown wasn't going to stop Seattle from investing in the position. Emmanwori will have a chance to compete for meaningful snaps in Year 1. — Dugar The first two players selected in the second round were on our list of best available players: LB Carson Schwesinger and WR Jayden Higgins. Other players from the list included CB Will Johnson, edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku, DT Darius Alexander and CB Azareye'h Thomas. Emmanwori was considered by some to be a first-round talent, and that likely explains Seattle's desire to move up in the second round. He might not have lasted until the 50th pick. Seattle still has its native second-round pick (50) and the third-round pick it received in the Geno Smith deal (92), so some of the other players on our best available list might still be in play. — Dugar Seattle's projected starting secondary entering the draft featured Devon Witherspoon, Josh Jobe, Riq Woolen, Love and Bryant. Only Witherspoon and Love are under contract beyond this season. There was a need for another young defensive back. Drafting Emmanwori might be a good move for the future on top of his potential impact in 2025. He'll draw some Kam Chancellor and Kyle Hamilton comparisons because of his size, but at first glance, Emmanwori comes off as a bigger version of Love in that he has limited range but can make plays near the line of scrimmage
USA Today
21-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Georgia football signs Illinois transfer RB
Georgia football signs Illinois transfer RB The Georgia Bulldogs have signed Illinois Fighting Illini running back Josh McCray via the NCAA transfer portal. McCray is a bruising back, who has one year of eligibility left, and was Illinois' leading rusher in 2024. McCray had a team-high 117 carries, 609 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns (No. 9 in the Big Ten/tied) in 2024. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound running back has a physical running style and is tough to bring down on first contact. McCray does not have elite speed, but runs with toughness and is excellent in between the tackles. McCray spent the first four seasons of his college football career with Illinois. He missed a lot of action in 2022 and 2023 due to injuries, but returned for a healthy and productive campaign in 2024. 247Sports ranks McCray as the No. 27 transfer running back in the country and the No. 435 overall player to enter the portal (includes the spring and winter portal windows). McCray's transfer ranking is surprisingly low considering his production from last season. However, McCray has some limitations as a pass catcher and a concerning injury history, so perhaps that explains McCray's transfer ranking. Highlights from McCray's Cheez-It Bowl game McCray's top performance in 2024 came in Illinois' 21-17 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl win over the South Carolina Gamecocks. He recorded 114 rushing yards on 13 carries and scored two rushing touchdowns. Kirby Smart reacts after McCray's commitment Georgia also brought in Army outside linebacker transfer Elo Modozie and Miami defensive line transfer Josh Horton. The Bulldogs have several other notable transfer portal targets, but they are mostly on defense. Georgia is in the mix for Syracuse defensive lineman Maraad Watson and UNC edge rusher Beau Atkinson, who are two of the top available players in the transfer portal.
USA Today
20-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Illinois transfer RB expected to visit Georgia football
Illinois transfer RB expected to visit Georgia football Illinois Fighting Illini transfer running back Josh McCray is reportedly planning to visit the Georgia Bulldogs. McCray is one of the top running backs available in the transfer portal. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound running back has excellent size and could help Georgia replace running back Branson Robinson, who entered the transfer portal this spring. McCray also has a solid track record of production. As a junior, McCray posted 117 carries for 609 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns (tied for No. 9 in the Big Ten) in 2024. He also added 13 receptions for 116 yards and one touchdown. McCray would be a good complement to Georgia's projected starting running back Nate Frazier, who is shifty and elusive, but does not have McCray's size. McCray is from Enterprise, Alabama. He was originally a three-star recruit in the class of 2021. He's spent the first four seasons of his college football career with Illinois. McCray missed the majority of the season in both 2022 and 2023 due to injuries. The bruising running back has 291 carries, 1,370 rushing yards, and 14 rushing touchdowns in his college football career. He's appeared in 33 games including two starts. McCray's top performance last season came in Illinois' 21-17 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl win over the South Carolina Gamecocks. He recorded 114 rushing yards on 13 carries and scored two rushing touchdowns. Georgia's other transfer targets include
