The 2026 NFL Draft is in Pittsburgh! This draft season, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital, and their fit with the Steelers.
On paper, the Steelers don’t have an immediate need for safety, but Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is one of just a small handful of the Steelers’ scheduled pre-draft visitors who have a first-round grade. That’s been
a key indicator in each of general manager Omar Khan’s three drafts in charge for Pittsburgh, which means his candidacy for pick 21 should be taken seriously.
The basics on Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
- Position: Safety
- Class: Senior
- Size: Height 6 ‘ 31/2, 201 pounds, 321/8” arms, 781/4” wingspan
- Age: 22 (01-08-2004)
- Projected draft round: 1st or early 2nd
Defensive stats via PFF
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren scouting report
Every year, there are just some prospects who scream “AFC North player” when you turn on their tape. This year, I’m not sure if there is any player who better exemplifies this phenomenon than Toledo’s McNeil-Warren. A Tampa Bay native, McNeil-Warren has spent the past four years getting acclimated to the types of winters he’d have to weather in the division. The young safety is an intriguing mix of throwback-style enforcer meets the modern-age type of safety who possesses incredible height, length, and speed.
Despite NIL offers from power conferences, McNeil-Warren is the latest Toledo defender who decided to stay loyal to the program and trust the staff there to continue his development. Now on the verge of being a first-round pick, that choice is close to paying off. As you might be able to tell from the clips above, McNeil-Warren is a versatile defensive back who defensive coordinators can move around the formation. During his college career, McNeil-Warren lined up in the box for 966 snaps, the deep free safety spot for 624 snaps, and 204 snaps from the slot. He also had 21 snaps on the line, where he had a total of 17 pass-rushing snaps — more on that later.
McNeil-Warren excels playing a robber role — a concept where a defense typically shows a split backfield and one safety plays the deep middle of the field, and the other plays the “robber” and covers the underneath hole in the middle of the field, closer to the line of scrimmage. He’s at his best closer to the line of scrimmage when he can watch the play develop in front of him and use his instincts and preparation to identify and disrupt the offense.
However, don’t pigeonhole him as just a premier box/strong safety. McNeil-Warren has fluid hips and good coverage instincts that allow him to play with range, and roam sideline-to-sideline. While he isn’t a burner, McNeil-Warren’s got enough speed to carry routes vertically and use his long arms to give receivers fits in contested situations.
But McNeil-Warren’s real calling card is his ability to generate turnovers. Including post-season games, he’s accounted for 11 forced fumbles and five interceptions during his college career.
And while Toledo didn’t use McNeil-Warren as a pass rusher often, he shone in limited opportunities. On just 17 career pass rush snaps, he created eight pressures (47.1%), totaled one sack, and had three quarterback hits. His senior season was his most productive, with five pressures on six pass rush attempts and his one career sack.
McNeil-Warren is urgent in run support and has shown the ability to slip and shed blocks. He had 11 tackles for loss in his career, including a career high 5.5 in 2025. His frame and demeanor allow him to deliver tackles with stopping power, but he did see a slight regression in his tackling efficiency this year. After a combined 11 missed tackles between 2023 and 2024, McNeil-Warren was tagged for 13 missed tackles in 2025 per PFF. However, I wouldn’t be too concerned, as his career missed tackle rate is still respectable (10.9%).
Strengths
- Turnover-generating machine (11 FF, 5 INTs)
- Tall with long limbs and range to disrupt passes
- Fluid, smooth mover able to mirror receivers and stick in their hip pocket
- Good anticipation and quick trigger in off coverage
- Good eyes and speed-throttling to navigate cleanly through traffic in pursuit against the run
Weaknesses
- Plenty fast, but lacks elite speed to recover when beaten vertically
- Can be overaggressive against the run and get caught with cutbacks
- After a sub-10% missed tackle rate in 2023 and 2024, doubled his missed tackles in 2025 (13)
What others are saying about Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Dane Brugler, The Athletic/The Beast
McNeil-Warren is an impressive size/speed athlete on the back end, who is at his best when roaming to read his keys, flow to the ball and quickly close space. He has the rangy tools to push for starting safety reps as an NFL rookie. Thanks to his footwork and hips, McNeil-Warren is a fluid mover with functional range and improved instincts versus the pass, which allows him to mirror and match tight ends and running backs. He drives on the football in run support and took a master’s class on the “Peanut Punch.”
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
Long, downhill safety capable of bolstering a team’s run defense and playing enforcer over the middle. McNeil-Warren is most valuable when playing near the line of scrimmage or in robber positioning. He anticipates well in coverage and is quick to close on receivers but will need to be protected by scheme to prevent speed mismatches. He’s urgent in run support and has a feel for slipping blocks/meeting runners early in the carry. He’s a rangy tackler, but needs to quiet his feet when diagnosing and flowing downhill to tackle. McNeil-Warren might be pigeon-holed schematically but he’s good at his job.
Todd McShay, The Ringer
One of McNeil-Warren’s unique traits is the confidence with which he attacks ballcarriers… it’s like watching an episode on Animal Planet where a predator hunts its prey. This attack comes in many different forms, including a submarine-style undercut, a violent lasso, and his perfectly timed “peanut punch.” A day-one starter for a team in need of an enforcer and takeaway artist. He has a similar size profile to Justin Reid (Saints) — both do a great job defending the run and holding up in the box. However, McNeil-Warren is simply better in coverage.
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren’s fit with the Steelers
The Steelers have two starters in place (DeShon Elliot, Jaquan Brisker) and a third defensive back (Jalen Ramsey) who has safety versatility, so should they remain in good health, McNeil-Warren wouldn’t be forced to play right away out of necessity. However, he is such a gifted player that a strong training camp and preseason showing could force Pittsburgh’s hand.
Most likely, McNeil-Warren could find a role as a rotational player in Pittsburgh’s Big Nickel packages, whether playing in the slot or in a traditional safety alignment. There’s also potential for him to work in as a sub-package linebacker if defensive coordinator Patrick Graham wants to find creative ways to get him on the field. McNeil-Warren also played 341 special teams reps in college, and could find a role there during his rookie season.
Looking at the big picture, the Steelers only signed Brisker to a one-year deal this offseason, and they could move on from Elliott for only $2 million in dead cap money in 2027 if injury or performance becomes an issue. Either of those players departing in 2027 opens up a starting role for McNeil-Warren, if he hasn’t already overtaken them by the end of 2026.
TL;DR: A versatile defensive back with good coverage skills and a knack for creating turnovers, it would only be a matter of time before McNeil-Warren becomes one of the faces of Pittsburgh’s defense.
What are your thoughts on Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!
