Xavier Nwankpa

Nwankpa projects as a potential camp body or practice squad safety with limited NFL trajectory at his current developmental stage. A two-year starter at Iowa who flashed instinctive run-fill capabilities and positional versatility, but lacks the athletic upside or coverage consistency teams prioritize in modern safety evaluations. He'll require significant functional improvement in lateral agility and ball skills to carve a roster spot, making him a UDFA developmental prospect dependent on landing with a patient organization.

Nwankpa's athletic profile (40-time, COD testing) didn't test elite by FBS standards, raising questions about whether he possesses adequate burst to play above his tape grade at the professional level. A Big Ten safety competing against inconsistent receiving threats masks whether his instincts will translate against NFL talent, and his overall PFF grades suggest he benefited from scheme and system rather than transcendent production.