Philadelphia, PA – April 15, 2025, 03:29 AM PDT
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is eyeing South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori in the 2025 NFL Draft to form a dynamic safety duo, sources told ESPN.
Fangio, who remade the Eagles’ defense into the NFL’s best in 2024 with 174.2 passing yards allowed per game, sees Emmanwori as the perfect complement to Reed Blankenship.
Emmanwori, a 6’3”, 227-pound safety, dominated at South Carolina with 244 tackles, 6 interceptions, and 2 pick-sixes over 37 games, earning First-Team All-SEC honors in 2024.
His rare size-speed combo—running a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the Combine—and physicality make him a hybrid safety-linebacker, ideal for Fangio’s versatile schemes.
The Eagles lost C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Texans, leaving Blankenship (108 tackles, 4 INTs in 2024) as the primary safety, with Sydney Brown recovering from an ACL injury.
Fangio, who mentored Hall of Famers like Ray Lewis, wants to draft Emmanwori at No. 32 or trade up, believing he can match tight ends and stop the run effectively.
Emmanwori’s ability to play deep, in the box, or slot aligns with Fangio’s philosophy of disguising coverages, potentially forming a top-tier safety tandem for the 2025 season.
With tough road games against the Lions and Bills looming, Fangio aims to bolster the secondary, leveraging Emmanwori’s instincts and tackling to maintain the Eagles’ defensive dominance.
