Xavier Nwankpa has the physical traits to make a natural transition to safety in the NFL. He’s a responsibility-sound defender, who does his best work closer to the line of scrimmage, while throwing around his body for big hits to ignite the defense. Nwankpa is the type of effort-based player who will do whatever is asked of him, which NFL coaching staffs will love.
A former 5-star recruit, Nwankpa played his entire collegiate career at Iowa. He entered his senior year by playing in all 40 games with 23 starts. The defensive back amassed 95 total tackles (67 solo), two tackles for loss, two interceptions and four passes defensed before the 2025 season, where he’s pacing to have his best season.
Dan has covered the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL Draft since 2019 while contributing for RGR Football. Most recently, he spent the 2025 draft cycle at The Draft Network and is entering his first season in our scouting department.
