There are a few comparisons that should almost never be made. Comparisons that don’t just lean toward hyperbole but border on being offensive.
This might be one of those.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski has the Washington Commanders predicted to replace departed safety Jeremy Chinn with University of South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori in the first round (No. 29 overall) of the upcoming NFL draft.
Sobleski took that as an opportunity to compare Emmanwori to the late Sean Taylor, the dynamic NFL All-Pro safety the Commanders drafted with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft.
“The following statement isn’t said lightly: South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori just may be the most athletically gifted safety to join Washington’s roster since Sean Taylor,” Sobleski wrote in his latest mock draft on March 20. “To be clear, Emmanwori isn’t the same caliber of tone-setter or elite playmaker as Taylor. Just from a physical standpoint, Emmanwori is rare.”
Chinn was one of the stalwarts on Washington’s defense in 2024 as the Commanders advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991. He had a career high 117 tackles to go with 7 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries and 5 pass deflections.
Chinn cashed out in free agency by signing a 2-year, $16.258 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders on March 10.
Emmanwori Could Step in and Replace Chinn Right Away
Emmanwori is the exact same size as Chinn at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds. Chinn only played one season for the Commanders on a 1-year, $4.105 million contract in 2024.
Emmanwori has some unique athletic traits that should translate well to the NFL and ran the 40-yard dash in a blazing, 4.38 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine and tested in the 92nd percentile or higher in every applicable testing category.
“Comp is Steve Rogers post-super soldier serum,” PFF’s Trevor Sikkema wrote on his official X account on February 28, comparing Emmanwori to the legendary Marvel Comics character Captain America.
Emannwori was South Carolina’s Defensive MVP after he led the team with 85 tackles as a freshman in 2022 and was an All-SEC selection and All-American in 2024 with 88 tackles and 4 interceptions, including 2 returned for touchdowns.
“(Emmanwori) has great recovery speed and uses his length to throw a blanket over the catch point,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. “He has rare NFL traits and talent, so a boost in urgency could take him from a good starter to a Pro Bowl-caliber player.”
Taylor’s Death One of NFL’s Greatest Tragedies
Taylor was one of the greatest college football players of all time at the University of Miami, where he won a BCS national championship in 2001 and was a unanimous All-American and Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 2003.
Taylor played 4 seasons for the Commanders from 2004 to 2007, where he was a 2-time Pro Bowler and earned NFL All-Pro honors in his final season.
Tragically, Taylor was murdered by an intruder in his Miami area home in November 2007 while protecting his girlfriend and 18-month-old infant daughter. He was only 24 years old.
The Commanders retired Taylor’s No. 21 jersey in 2021.
