ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. put out his first 2025 mock draft and had the Indianapolis Colts taking tight end Tyler Warren from Penn State.
However, while ultimately that was Kiper’s selection for the Colts, he did mention that he considered addressing the safety position at 14th overall, and two names he mentioned were Georgia’s Malaki Starks and South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori.
Along with Warren, Starks is one of the most popular picks for the Colts in early mock drafts this cycle.
With safety being a big need for Indianapolis, Starks would fill a do-it-all role on the back-end, able to play deep or close to the line of scrimmage and someone who’s capable both in coverage and against the run.
But when it comes to Emmanwori, that is not a name we’ve really seen associated with the Colts.
Emmanwori has excellent size, listed at 6-3 – 227 pounds and has played over 2,300 career snaps over the last three seasons. The bulk of his snaps came close to the line of scrimmage, either playing in the box or lining up in the nickel. This addition may then require Nick Cross to move back to free safety after playing strong safety for most of 2024.
This past year, Emmanwori was a very reliable tackler, making 90 of his 97 attempts, according to PFF. In coverage, he held opponents to just 8.3 yards per attempt and came away with four interceptions and three pass breakups. The passer rating for opposing quarterbacks when targeting Emmanwori was just 37.1.
For more on Emmanwori, here is what Kyle Crabbs of the 33rd Football Team had to say in his pre-draft report:
“Emmanwori has been a productive player in coverage despite some transition limitations that make him an unlikely candidate to play on the roof at the NFL level with any consistency. His feel in zone coverage is effective for sinking and mirror-throwing windows, and he’s nearly impossible to throw over in the red zone where space is constricted — despite QBs continuing to try.”
In addition to safety and tight end, cornerback is a third position that could be on the Colts’ radar at 14th overall.