2025 NFL Draft - South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori

PROJECTED TRADE WITH BUFFALO BILLS

Minnesota could look at a cornerback here, but Emmanwori's value may be too good to pass up -- and the Vikings might have taken him if they'd stayed at No. 24. Stepping into the lineup at strong safety, this athletic freak also showed the quickness to play nickel while at South Carolina.

The Bills need some athleticism and speed at safety, so here comes the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Emmanwori, who was one of the stars of the scouting combine with a 4.38 40-yard dash and a 43-inch vertical. He would be a nice upgrade over what they have now, even though he's got some room to improve in terms of physicality.

The Falcons re-signed cornerback Mike Hughes in free agency, which at least stabilizes the starting positions there with the combination of Hughes and A.J. Terrell. The same can't be said at safety, where returning starter Jessie Bates, DeMarcco Hellams and Benny Sapp III were the only players on the roster — and Hellams and Sapp didn't play in 2024 — before the team reportedly agreed to terms with veteran Jordan Fuller.

Bringing Fuller aboard doesn't change the idea of looking for a long-term partner next to Bates. Taking Emmanwori over Georgia's Malaki Starks, who has been considered the top safety in this class for a while, will be controversial, especially for Atlanta because of its Bulldog neighbors. But his NFL Scouting Combine testing results (4.38 40-yard dash, 43-inch vertical jump) and frame (6-3, 220 pounds) give him the kind of ceiling that might make it worth the risk. — Josh Kendall