Nick Emmanwori’s 40-time beats NFL stars at the Combine.
South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori showed up to the NFL Combine and left no doubts. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound defensive back ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, outjumped most of the field with a 43-inch vertical, and landed an 11-foot-6 broad jump. Numbers like these don’t come around often.
Mel Kiper Jr. already had Emmanwori as the No. 2 safety on his board and mocked him at No. 27 in his latest draft projection. After this performance, that might not be high enough.
Emmanwori’s vertical jump measured 43 inches—a number that put him in rare company. Since 2003, only four players standing at least 6-foot-3 have jumped over 40 inches and clocked a sub-4.4 40-yard dash:
For context, DK Metcalf—a wide receiver built like a cyborg—recorded a 40.5-inch vertical. Emmanwori beat that by 2.5 inches. That’s not normal for a 6-foot-3, 220-pound safety.
No other safety at the Combine in at least two decades has hit these numbers. No one. Not even the freak athletes who came before him.
When asked about his 40-yard dash before the workout, Emmanwori didn’t hesitate:
“4.3.”
The confidence was justified.
“I heard a little bit of talks about being the fastest DB,” Emmanwori said. “I do think I am one of the fastest. Top three, maybe top five for sure. … I don’t think you’ve ever seen a safety like me. Well, there are a lot of dudes that came through this league, but a safety like me hasn’t come through this league for a long time. My size, my speed, my ability.”
He called his shot and delivered.
Emmanwori’s 11-foot-6 broad jump backed up everything his 40-time and vertical already said: he’s explosive. That distance makes him one of the top testers across all positions at this year’s Combine.
That type of lower-body explosion translates directly to coverage ability, closing speed, and tackling power. Defensive backs with jumps like this move differently—faster breaks, quicker reactions, and the ability to recover even when beaten on a route.
The NFL’s official X (Twitter) account highlighted Emmanwori’s 40-time by comparing him to elite receivers. His 4.38-second dash was faster than:
Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf posted a 4.33 in his draft year, but Emmanwori beat him in the vertical jump by 2.5 inches.
A 6-foot-3, 220-pound safety moving like that? That’s a problem.
Nick Emmanwori was already on the first-round radar for teams needing a versatile defensive back. But after posting one of the best all-around Combine performances in recent memory, he might be gone even earlier than expected.
Mel Kiper Jr. had him landing with the Baltimore Ravens at No. 27, while ESPN’s Matt Miller ranked him at No. 28. That’s before his combine numbers dropped.
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