It couldn’t have been more obvious throughout the offseason that the Cleveland Browns’ plan all along was to wait until the 2026 draft to address the glaring needs at left tackle and wide receiver. The two positions received no attention in free agency, but GM Andrew Berry turned the weaknesses into strengths by selecting Spencer Fano, KC Concepcion, and Denzel Boston with the team’s first three picks.
It was an exciting draft class that should provide a significant immediate impact just like the 2025 class did. Cleveland brought in a whopping ten rookies in this class, and there is so much talent in the group that it’s tough to even get a grasp on all the new weapons that new head coach Todd Monken will have at his disposal.
One of the sneaky picks that Berry made was taking Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren with the 58th overall pick in the second round. Many mocks projected him to go as high as the middle of Round 1, and Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot recently wrote about just how ecstatic the team was to land a talent like him late in the second round.
“The Browns were ecstatic to land McNeil-Warren with a trade up to No. 58 in the second round, and can’t wait to see him in action. His excellent size (6-3, 210) will immediately stand out, but his future Pro Bowl potential should also be on display. Quarterbacks will need to be aware of ‘E-man’ on every play, and if he’s as good as the Browns believe he is, he’ll draw comparisons to five-time Pro Bowler Derwin James of the Chargers,” Cabot wrote.
The NFL is a copycat league, and after seeing how much of a menace gadget safety Nick Emmanwori was as a rookie for the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, he immediately became the type of player that other teams were going to look to replicate in 2026. His extraordinary athleticism, above-average size for a safety, and versatility allowed head coach Mike Macdonald to deploy him in many different packages to keep opposing offenses guessing, and that’s exactly the kind of role McNeil-Warren could potentially have in Cleveland’s revamped defense.
Over his last three years at Toledo, McNeil-Warren has racked up over 200 tackles, 13 pass deflections, eight forced fumbles, and five picks. Secondary depth was a tertiary issue for the Browns heading into the draft, and McNeil-Warren could be the type of long-term solution this defense needs given the fact that starting safeties Grant Delpit and Ronnie Hickman are both free agents after the upcoming campaign.
The Browns could surprise some people this year, and guys like McNeil-Warren are a big reason why. Don’t be fooled by the fact that he came out of Toledo. The kid can play.
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