Mile High Report
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has the Broncos selecting safety Nick Emmanwori in his debut mock draft.
NFL Network’s lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has released his debut 2025 NFL mock draft and has the Broncos upgrading their secondary. He has the Broncos selecting South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori with their 20th overall selection in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Nick Emmanwori is one of the top defensive backs in the draft and has elite size and athleticism for a safety. He is listed at 6-3, 227 pounds, and Jeremiah says that the big safety reminds him a little bit of Chargers safety Derwin James.
Emmanwori gave me some Derwin James vibes when I studied him. I love his instincts and production.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein calls Emmanwori a “physical specimen” with rare size and outstanding speed. He continues by saying that Emmanwori could become a “great one” if he can develop a boost in urgency.
The assessment of Emmanwori’s tape could depend on which games you watch. He’s a physical specimen with rare size and outstanding speed, but he doesn’t always play with a “first to the action” mentality in run support. When he gets it cranked up, he becomes a much more effective tackler and overall run stopper from sideline to sideline. He’s capable of playing over the top, inside the box or even matching up with pass-catching tight ends. He’s upright with average transition fluidity in coverage, but he has great recovery speed and uses his length to throw a blanket over the catch point. He has NFL traits and talent, so a boost in urgency could take him from a good starter to a great one.
The Broncos successfully moved on from longtime safety Justin Simmons by replacing with Brandon Jones. He would go on to lead the Broncos in tackles and have a breakout career year in the back end of Vance Joseph’s defense. However, the other starting safety, P.J. Locke, did not have the best season and is viewed as a potential cap cut this offseason. A player like Emmanwori could step in as a day-one starter and instantly improve and already talented Broncos secondary. With tight ends like Travis Kelece and Brock Bowers in the division, having a big and athletic safety who can matchup one-on-one with them will be key.
Sure, I would like to see the Broncos address their offense in the first round, but despite the Broncos defensive success in 2024, they have plenty of holes on the roster. Getting a young stud safety is a need and Emmanwori would instantly improve the Broncos' secondary.
