It was a shock when Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren suddenly appeared not just in the first three rounds of 2026 NFL mock drafts, but quickly became a consensus first round selection.
McNeill-Warren received little buzz during the 2025 college season, which is unsurprising playing at Toledo. National outlets tend to focus on the big schools during the season before circling back to smaller schools once the grind of the regular season is over. But once got McNeil-Warren got eyes on him, he rocketed
up draft boards.
He’s a long an exciting box safety who could quickly emerge as a playmaker in a modern Big Nickel defense.
The New York Giants may be in search of a safety, or safety hybrid, to man their Big Nickel position under Dennard Wilson. Could McNeil-Warren be on their radar?
Prospect: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (7)
Games Watched: vs. Kentucky (2025), vs. Akron (2025), vs. Washington State (2025)
Red Flags: Shoulder (season-ending, 2024)
Measurables
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Strengths
Best traits
- Length
- Competitive toughness
- Tackling
- Processing
- Closing burst
Emmaneul McNeil-Warren is a long, smart, versatile, and highly aggressive safety prospect.
McNeil-Warren has great length for the position at 6-foot-3 with 32-inch arms. That length allows him to effectively wrap up ball carriers, attack the football and force fumbles (9 on his career, 3 last year), and be disruptive at the catch point (13 passes defensed, 5 in 2025).
He sports a high football IQ and is an active communicator in both the pre and post-snap phases of the game. McNeil-Warren is consistently directing traffic in the back end of the Rockets’ defense and plays a major role in orchestrating their post-snap coverage rotations. He has enough speed to quickly hit depth when dropping into a center field coverage zone and enough range to execute those responsibilities. Likewise, he has enough range and speed to come down and play the run from the intermediate area of the field.
McNeil-Warren typically diagnoses the opposing offense well and shows impressive processing speed mid-play. He reacts very quickly to misdirection or cut-backs from running backs, altering his pathing almost in sync with his opponents. He also has a lightning downhill trigger and flies to the ball once he diagnoses a running play.
McNeil-Warren has a very good closing burst, built on his ability to quickly stop and gather himself. He is very quick to drop his center of gravity before uncoiling to strike opponents. That allows him to hit much harder than his 201-pound frame would suggest. He seems to truly love the physical aspect of the game and has upside as a box safety thanks to his ability to knife through gaps and be a violent hitter.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Mass
- Long speed
- Man coverage
- Shoulder
McNeil-Warren is a good all-around safety prospect, however there are a couple concerns in his profile that could give some teams a bit of pause.
First and foremost, he is merely an adequate athlete. He lacks great long speed, quickness, and agility. He doesn’t quite have the athletic traits to be a “do it all” safety with elite range in deep zones or the ability to match up with athletic pass catchers in man coverage.
McNeil-Warren also sports a linear, lanky build at just 201 pounds, which also limits his play strength. He can be knocked around by tight ends and struggle to shed blocks from bigger receivers if he doesn’t have momentum. However, he might not have room on his frame to add much muscle without sacrificing his athleticism. One of the strengths of his game is the ability to quickly gather himself to strike opponents, and that depends on his lower-body flexibility. Gaining mass could limit that flexibility and reduce his effectiveness.
And while McNeil-Warren is typically a fast processor, there is a slight hesitation before he commits to a course of action, and he’s a “read and react” defender, as opposed to a truly instinctive one. That hesitation is more pronounced when faced with RPOs and Read-Option plays, and NFL teams could exploit that hesitation even if he makes the correct diagnosis.
Game Tape
(McNeil-Warren is the Toledo defensive back wearing 7 with long sleeves.)
Projection
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren projects as a starting safety with scheme and alignment versatility at the NFL level.
There are a few things that McNeil Warren shouldn’t be asked to do, such as match up with slot receivers in man coverage, carry athletic receivers down the field, or consistently take on tight ends as blockers.
Those, however, shouldn’t distract from the fact that McNeil-Warren is able to wear a lot of hats for a defense. He can be everything from the deep safety in a Cover-3 to an enforcer in the tackle box. Likewise, he can help enable a sophisticated coverage scheme through his football IQ and ability to rotate coverages and disguise blitz packages.
McNeil-Warren should hear his name called in the first round of the draft and will make whatever defense he lands in better.
Does he fit the Giants? Yes, value permitting
Final Word: A first round pick
