Jonathan Jones projected Chicago packaging pick 36 and a Day‑3 sweetener to Minnesota for No. 24 to nab South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori. The 6‑3/218 defender ran 4.46 and leapt 39 inches, measurables the Bears’ analytics staff flags as ‘rare safety traits.’ Emmanwori played 320 box, 210 deep and 120 slot snaps last year while producing a 12.4 % forced‑incompletion rate—perfect for DC Eric Washington’s matchup‑heavy sub packages. With Jaquan Brisker missing five games and Eddie Jackson gone, Jones says Chicago won’t risk waiting. He urged bettors to grab Emmanwori as first safety drafted (+150) and smash his draft‑slot Under 28.5 before the Bears’ aggression is fully priced in.

Jason La Confora said he would not be surprised if Nick Emmanwori is the second defensive back selected and sneaks into the top‑10 picks. He named both the 49ers and Dolphins as realistic landing spots and stressed that front offices are much higher on Emmanwori than public mock drafts indicate. La Confora added that teams are looking for hybrid safeties who can handle slot duties and erase the motion‑heavy concepts dominating today’s NFL, so it does not have to be a pure cornerback who comes off the board first. Bettors playing first‑defensive‑back or top‑10 props should treat Emmanwori as a live option rather than a long‑shot.