A turnover-hungry Toledo safety and Second-Team All-American who the Browns traded up to draft in the second round.
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren spent four seasons building toward a breakout senior year at Toledo, capping his college career with All-America honors and a reputation as one of the best ball-hawks in his draft class. The Browns traded up 12 spots in the 2026 NFL Draft to select him, giving Cleveland a physical, turnover-producing safety in the middle of its secondary.
Path to the league
McNeil-Warren was born in Tampa, Florida, and attended Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg before signing with Toledo. He worked his way up from a special-teams role as a freshman in 2022 to a full-time starter, playing 48 career games for the Rockets. The Browns traded up with the San Francisco 49ers, sending a third-round and fourth-round pick, to move up and select him with the 58th overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Over his four years at Toledo, McNeil-Warren totaled 106 solo tackles and 108 assists, intercepted 5 passes and forced 9 fumbles, establishing himself as one of the most disruptive defensive backs in the Mid-American Conference. His takeaway production and physicality at the position made him a priority target for Cleveland's front office in the trade-up.
2025 season recap
In his final season at Toledo, McNeil-Warren posted 77 tackles, forced 3 fumbles, recovered 2 fumbles and returned an interception for a touchdown. The performance earned him Second-Team All-America honors from the Sporting News and FWAA, First-Team All-MAC recognition, PFF G6 Defensive Player of the Year, and a spot as a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
- ESPN: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren player page
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Safety
- Group
- defense
- College
- Toledo
- Hometown
- Tampa, FL, USA
- Age
- 22
- Status
- active
