NFL combine: NFL draft safety prospect puts on a show, sets historic mark

Nick Emmanwori exploded on the field and could see a huge rise in stock toward the NFL draft

There is a long time between the NFL combine and the NFL draft, but prospects can do a lot to cement their name on teams’ big boards and in the hearts of fans. It is always important not to count things twice (if they were fast on the film and test fast, it just confirms things in your evaluation) but sometimes a prospect stands out with how they test.

The Cleveland Browns are desperate to find players who can turn the tide after a three win season. Top level athletes will always be a focus of the Andrew Berry led front office.

South Carolina Gamecock S Nick Emmanwori was that kind of player on Friday night in Indianapolis, Indiana. Prior to the event, Emmanwori was seen as a fringe first round prospect after three seasons in South Carolina.

As a strong safety, Emmanwori had 166 tackles, six interceptions, 11 pass deflections and two defensive touchdowns.

His athletic traits were off the charts early in Indianapolis:

Relative Athletic Score does a great job of helping put the testing scores in context compared to historical players at the same position. Not only was he explosive but he was fast, especially for his size:

Putting it all together led to the best strong safety performance of measured since 1987:

That wasn’t enough as his second 40-yard dash was even better:

Not only was Emmanwori the top safety since testing started but would have been elite at other positions as well:

With his skills and physical gifts, Emmanwori could rotate at multiple positions including pairing with Grant Delpit to make a terrorizing pair on the backend of the Browns defense.