South Carolina Star Receives Unanimous First-Round Predictions in Latest CBS Sports NFL Draft Mocks

The NFL Draft is now just over a month away, and the South Carolina football program is primed for a historic showing in Green Bay. The Gamecocks’ record for the most players selected in a single draft is seven, a feat reached in both 2009 and 2013. However, with 12 players invited to this year’s NFL Combine, there’s a strong possibility that record will be surpassed. Among those players, All-American Nick Emmanwori had the standout performance.

In the latest NFL Draft projections from CBS Sports, Emmanwori has earned unanimous first-round grades. In six different mocks by analysts Ryan Wilson, Chris Trapasso, Mike Renner, Josh Edwards, Kyle Stackpole, and Garrett Podell, the former Gamecock is expected to be taken on the first day of the 2025 draft.

Ryan Wilson has the highest projection for Emmanwori, predicting he’ll be picked 11th overall by the San Francisco 49ers. Next up is Josh Edwards, who has Emmanwori going 13th to the Miami Dolphins, a slot that has become a popular landing spot for the safety. Meanwhile, Kyle Stackpole has Emmanwori at No. 18 to the Seattle Seahawks, another team that’s consistently been linked to him in mock drafts.

Chris Trapasso and Garrett Podell both see Emmanwori going at No. 22 to the Los Angeles Chargers and No. 24 to the Minnesota Vikings, respectively. The lowest projection comes from Mike Renner, who has Emmanwori going 30th to the Buffalo Bills, though Renner’s mock hasn’t been updated since March 4th.

If Emmanwori is selected within the first 32 picks, he’ll become the first South Carolina safety taken that high since 1979, when fellow All-American Rick Sanford was picked 25th overall by the New England Patriots.

Other Gamecocks defensive stars like TJ Sanders, Kyle Kennard, and Demetrius Knight have also received strong NFL Draft grades, with some even pegged as first-round picks, though it’s unlikely any will go that high in April. Sanders, once projected as a first-round pick, now appears to be settling into a late second or early third-round selection.

Running back Rocket Sanders and cornerback O’Donnell Fortune seem like locks to be selected, and several other Gamecocks, including defensive linemen Tonka Hemingway and tight end Josh Simon, also have a strong chance of hearing their names called.

The 2025 NFL Draft will be held from April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The first round will take place on Thursday, April 24th, with rounds two and three on Friday, April 25th, and the rest of the draft on Saturday, April 26th. You can catch all the action on NFL Network, ABC, and the ESPN family of networks, with streaming available on NFL.com and the ESPN app.

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