While players like safety Kyle Hamilton and cornerback Nate Wiggins will be key starters for the Baltimore Ravens for the foreseeable future, it should be of little to no surprise to hear they want to add to the back end of their defense.
Baltimore had trouble finding a consistent safety to complement Hamilton. Marcus Williams was benched due to poor play, and Eddie Jackson was cut midseason.
While the Ravens were able to limit some of the damage and rectify the situation later in the season, the back end wasn’t good by any means.
They allowed 58 completions for 20-plus yards last season, per ESPN.com.
Even Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta talked about how nice it would be to acquire another safety.
“If we can add another safety, obviously, it would be really good for us,” DeCosta said per the Ravens website. “It gives us that multiplicity on defense and the ability to do a lot of different things. Kyle becomes that sort of [Swiss Army] knife again.”
With the need at safety in mind, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has the Ravens selecting South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori at No. 27.
At 6-foot-3, 227 pounds, Emmanwori can make spectacular plays on the back end while also being able to come up to the line and in the box.
“This ascending prospect is built like a Greek god and offers a rare blend of size, speed and ball skills,” Zierlein writes. “Like Ravens star Kyle Hamilton, Emmanwori can man either safety spot and has the instincts to make impact plays on the back end.”
However, Zierlein is slightly worried about Emmanwori’s motor, as he’s had a tendency to take plays off.
“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,” Zierlein wrote in Emmanwori’s draft profile.
“When he gets it cranked up, he becomes a much more effective tackler and overall run stopper from sideline to sideline. He has NFL traits and talent, so a boost in urgency could take him from a good starter to a great one.”
The Ravens will likely have their pick of the draft’s top safety, and with traits like this, it’s tough to think drafting Emmanwori would be a mistake.
