The Cleveland Browns had sky-high expectations heading into the 2026 draft, and even the harshest critics would likely admit that GM Andrew Berry did an excellent job in filling the team’s biggest needs. Left tackle and wide receiver were the not-so-secret plan all along, and both issues were solved after the first round with Spencer Fano and KC Concepcion joining the squad.
With how spectacular last year’s class was, the Browns now have a legitimate foundation to feel good about for the future. While Fano, Concepcion, and Denzel Boston have generated most of the headlines and attention, there is another rookie who slid down the board, whom Todd Monken sees huge potential in.
ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi recently shared a clip from minicamp where Monken discussed new rookie safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. He spoke highly of the second-rounder out of Toledo and sees him blossoming into an integral part of this defense.
“Long, fast, physical, got unbelievable range. Loves football. I think the sky is the limit. He wants to be an elite football player and he goes about it the right way every day,” said Monken.
Browns coach Todd Monken on rookie S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren: “The sky’s the limit.” pic.twitter.com/kaVV1Fgbnf
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) May 9, 2026
McNeil-Warren stuffed the stat sheets to the gills during his time at Toledo, piling up tackles, pass deflections, and turnovers. He may play a different position, but it sounds a lot like last year’s unheralded second-round pick in Carson Schwesinger, who also stuffed the stat sheets at UCLA and was a game-changing talent from the day he stepped onto the field for Cleveland.
Monken is far from the only person who is already impressed with the young safety and salivating at the thought of what he could mean to this defense. With both Ronnie Hickman and Grant Delpit heading into contract years, this was also a move for the future as McNeil-Warren could easily slide into a starting safety role in 2027 should one or both of those stalwarts not be retained.
Every team wants to find their own Nick Emmanwori after the Seattle Seahawks drafted him in Round 2 last year and immediately saw him become a vital weapon for a Super Bowl-winning defense. There’s a path for McNeil-Warren to be exactly that for Cleveland.
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