Draft value is not always determined by where a player is selected. Every year, a handful of prospects slide further than expected, and the teams that scoop them up can end up with starting-caliber talent at a discount. Those picks often look like steals long before the rest of the league catches on. The Browns may have landed one of those players in the 2nd round this spring.
Adam Carter shared the highest-graded rookie defensive backs in the league through 5 weeks. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren sits atop that list with an 89.9 grade, ahead of Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Mansoor Delane at 84.5. For a player who has made just 1 start through 5 games, that is a remarkable mark.
“Highest graded rookie defensive backs in the NFL through week 5.. (min. 100 snaps): Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Browns; Mansoor Delane, Chiefs. ‘Tier 1-Bluechip’ projections performing like such early in their NFL careers,” Carter posted.
Highest graded rookie defensive backs in the NFL through week 5.. (min. 100 snaps)
🔘 Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Browns
🔘 Mansoor Delane, Chiefs‘Tier 1-Bluechip’ projections performing like such early in their NFL careers.. 📈 https://t.co/Pjz7LDXzVA pic.twitter.com/RNsEOcLrGW
— Adam Carter (@impactfbdata) October 12, 2026
The draft-steal argument comes from where he was taken. The Browns selected McNeil-Warren with the 58th overall pick out of Toledo, yet Carter’s research had him as the 9th-highest graded prospect among consensus Day 1 and Day 2 players, placing him in the same tier as names like Carnell Tate, David Bailey and Spencer Fano.
Fano, who went 9th overall to the Browns, was also part of that group, giving Cleveland 2 of the top 9 players on Carter’s board.
McNeil-Warren’s breakout came against the New York Jets. He was the key to slowing rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq, another member of that top tier, and McNeil-Warren responded with a 92.0 PFF grade, the 5th-highest among all defenders in Week 5.
His size is a big part of his appeal. At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, he has the length to match up with tight ends and the range to cover ground on the back end, giving Mike Rutenberg a versatile piece in a defense that plays more man coverage than any other team in the league.
He has been steady every week, too. McNeil-Warren has recorded at least 3 tackles in each of his first 5 games and broke up 2 passes in the win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
There is a local angle as well. He built his reputation at Toledo, and his rise has given Northwest Ohio fans another reason to keep a close eye on the Browns.
His role should continue to grow. With injuries mounting across the defense and the Baltimore Ravens visiting on October 18, Rutenberg may lean on McNeil-Warren even more. If he keeps grading out at this level, the Browns may have found a long-term starter in the back half of the 2nd round.
NEXT: One Browns Defender Had An Underrated Performance Against Jets
