Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Iowa defensive back Xavier Nwankpa (DB43) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Iowa DB Turning Heads at NFL Combine

Originally posted on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Feb 28, 2026 1:00 PM ET

Shortly after linebacker Karson Sharar showed out with his 40'' vertical, Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Xavier Nwankpa is putting on quite a show.

The four-year Iowa Hawkeyes player balled out in 2025 en route to being invited to the NFL Combine. Now, he's making the most of his opportunities.

Nwankpa ran a 4.48 second 40-yard dash and had a 1.62 second 10-yard split. According to NFL.com the only other result he has from the combine so far is his vertical jump which came in at 37.5''.

Those numbers are quite nice, but it's his Relative Athletic Score that got the most attention. Nwankpa clocked in at a 9.95 with 10.00 being the highest score.

Nwankpa Ranks 7th Out of 1242 Strong Safeties Since 1987

Xavier Nwankpa is a SS prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.95 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 7 out of 1242 SS from 1987 to 2026.

Pending agilities and bench, splits projected.https://t.co/tPlxHZ8QYx pic.twitter.com/PqrEItwSX5
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) February 27, 2026

He may have flown under the radar a bit, but Nwankpa is proving why he could be an elite strong safety in the NFL. His skills are second to none, clearly, and this isn't something scouts and coaches are going to take for granted.

Looking at his seventh place ranking out of the 1242 qualified strong safeties since 1987, this puts Nwankpa in the 99.43% percentile. There are only roughly 0.56% of players who have had a better combine than him in the last 39 years.

RAS lists his 40-yard dash, 20-yard split, and 10-yard split as "elite". This performance is something Nwankpa will be able to carry with him for quite some time, and that'll go a long way come the NFL Draft in late April.

Nwankpa's Four-Year Career at Iowa

Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While he didn't do much as a freshman, Nwankpa quickly turned into an impact player in 2023. He had more total tackles (42) as a sophomore than he did as a junior (41), but the only pick-six of his career came as a freshman.

The only sack of Nwankpa's collegiate carer came during his sophomore season where he grabbed another interception, the second of three in his career. The third came in his senior season where he secured 76 total tackles, 50 of which being solo.

Nwankpa also had a pair of forced fumbles in 2025 which were the only two of his career. The Iowa native showed out in his final season as he was six solo tackles shy of matching his sophomore and junior seasons combined. There are certainly other DBs/safety's with better numbers during their college career, but the 6'2'' 213-pound player proved he has an incredibly high ceiling.

This article first appeared on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: