The Iowa Hawkeyes’ defense has seen Xavier Nwankpa as a mainstay for almost three years and the former five-star high school recruit is a legitimate prospect in one of the next two draft cycles. Here is a 2025 NFL Draft Early Scouting Report and film analysis on him.
Overview, Film Analysis, and Early 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report of Iowa DB Xavier Nwankpa
Measurables:
- 6’2”
- 215 lbs
Player Background:
Nwankpa was a massively recruited safety prospect out of high school, with many sites listing him as a five-star and top overall S. The Southeast Polk HS product stayed in-state and committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes. Entering the program in 2022, he saw immediate action on special teams with varying playing time on defense. A 52-yard pick-six against Kentucky to extend the lead and give them their eighth win defined his freshman campaign.
He came into the 2022 season as a Week 1 starter, playing in all 14 of the team’s contests and starting 12. He manned the Hawkeye secondary well as a sophomore, accumulating 42 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, a sack, two pass break ups and an interception in a solid season. Nwankpa has kept his role large through eight games in 2024. He had some early-season struggles, but his strong play has returned and he’s looking like a prime candidate to declare early for the 2025 NFL Draft.
Accolades:
- Team Hustle Award (2022)
- Athlon Sports Preseason Third Team All-Big 10 (2024)
Strengths/Pros:
When Nwankpa decides to attack, he flashes the skills of an elite safety on every single rep. His trigger is incredibly impressive and he flies downhill. He’s exceptionally explosive and can cover all areas of the field. His length and knowledge of pursuit angles allow him to close out ball carriers from anywhere. When he engages with ball carriers he tackles with technical prowess, and finishes plays even when he has leverage disadvantages. He brings massive power behind his hits and stuffs runners in their tracks frequently.
Nwankpa is patient and disciplined in coverage and allows plays to develop before selling out on an assignment. His pass-offs are decent across the middle and works mesh concepts with precision. He maintains a high level of discipline in zone coverage and doesn’t stray away from his assignment often. He’ll also be just 21 years old on draft day, and his youth combined with a very projectable frame make him a project scouts will be all over.
Weaknesses/Cons:
Urgency should be the central part of Nwankpa’s NFL development to maximize his output. He tends to stray away from making high-risk high-reward decisions early in plays. This prevents him from having as big of an impact and plays will occasionally progress too far to stop before he attacks. He also needs to create more disruption in pass coverage and force his way into downfield passing plays. The fluidity of his second-level coverage skills needs to be improved and his mid-play instincts are currently at a subpar level.
Nwankpa is far too one-dimensional as it stands and can be a major liability in coverage at times. His eyes get locked onto the quarterback too often, causing him to get flat-footed and predictable. While his tackling skills show promise, he whiffs too often on wrap-up attempts. As an athlete, his biggest flaw is some overall stiffness when moving horizontally.
Potential Team Fits:
NFL Projection:
There’s a good chance that Nwankpa can be an effective scheme-specific Day 1 piece in a strictly downhill role. His ability to stop intermediate plays from turning into chunk gains will make him a valuable asset but he has some major coverage issues to fix. If he chooses to enter the draft early, teams will likely view him as a longer-term project with enormous upside potential. Nwankpa’s versatility in accounting for much of the field provides him with a solid floor, and his ceiling is truly immense if his outside deficiencies are diminished.
Prospect Grade:
- Early 4th Round
Film Exposures:
- 2024 vs. Ohio State
- 2024 vs. Washington
- 2023 vs. Wisconsin
Main Photo Courtesy of Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen-USA Today Network via Imagn Images
