It may not be at the very top of their to-do list, but the Baltimore Ravens would absolutely like to add to their safety room this offseason.
Kyle Hamilton and Ar’Darius Washington make for a formidable duo in the secondary, and the latter’s ascension to the starting lineup marked a clear turning point for the Ravens’ defense. The problem is that there’s virtually no depth behind them. Not only is it tough to have only two regular safeties in a vacuum, but it restricts Hamilton’s positional versatility, arguably his greatest strength.
Even with a clear need at the position, not many believe the Ravens will target a safety in the first round of the NFL Draft. However, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah believes there is one under-the-radar prospect that could be a perfect pick at No. 27: South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori.
“Emmanwori, if he was there, I would turn the card in,” Jeremiah said on a conference call last week. “I think he would be a fun player for them to play with. He’s big. He’s physical. Plays more near the line of scrimmage. He makes a lot of plays buzzing underneath the ball, and he’s a physical, firm tackler and an aggressive dude. I would be excited about that at the end of the first round.”
A junior from Irmo, South Carolina, Emmanwori has a lot of traits that would make teams salivate. He’s a big safety at 6-3 and 227 pounds, but he also has outstanding speed for his size. He’s also a ballhawk, hauling in four interceptions and returning two of them for touchdowns this season en route to a first-team All-American selection.
There are some concerns with his game, namely his ability to defend against the run, but he’s a very compelling prospect overall.
Emmanwori would not only be a great addition on his own, but open up the playbook for Hamilton and the defense as a whole. If he’s available at No. 27, the Ravens should strongly consider taking him.
