Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry, head coach Todd Monken, and the rest of the team’s braintrust will embark on the next phase of their draft evaluation later this week at the annual NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Over the next several weeks, Berry and company will work to finalize their draft board and determine the best course of action for the 10 selections, including four in the first three rounds, they possess in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Berry has already put in place a mandate to make a heavy investment in the offense this season, and while some of that will come via free agency in March, the bulk of the lifting will take place over the three days of the draft.
That means, despite the insistence of some, that the Browns will use both of their first-round selections, currently Nos. 6 and 24 overall, on the offensive side of the ball. Such is life when four of your five starting offensive linemen are free agents (and the fifth is once again recovering from an injury), and you have one of the league’s weakest wide receiver groups.
Despite the reality of the situation, debate will continue over whether or not Berry should select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 6 if he is available, given that Downs would be carrying the fan-favorite tag of “best player available.”
Adding Downs to a defense that already possesses the game’s best defensive player in Myles Garrett, the recently crowned Defensive Rookie of the Year in Carson Schwesinger, and one of the game’s top cornerbacks in Denzel Ward, is not without its upside. But, unless the plan is to build a defense on par with the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers, which allowed just 9.9 points a game, the first two names off the board are going to be offensive players.
However, that does not mean that Berry should disregard the defense or safety position entirely, which makes Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren a name to keep a close eye on.
According to NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks, the 6-foot-3 and 209-pound McNeil-Warren “has created quite the buzz in scouting circles as a long, rangy safety with elite ball skills and a knack for playmaking around the box. (McNeil-Warren boasts) a ‘smash-boy’ mentality and outstanding tackling ability, (and) displays the potential to make an immediate impact in the kind of hybrid role that enabled Kyle Hamilton, Derwin James, and Nick Emmanwori to shine in their respective schemes.”
McNeil-Warren improved his overall defensive grade in each of the past three seasons, according to Pro Football Focus, topping out at 91.9 last fall, making him the No. 2-ranked safety, 17 spots ahead of Downs, albeit against a different level of competition.
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein has a few reservations about McNeil-Warren, but ultimately says he is “good at his job,” which is always nice to hear:
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 the 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.
While early on in the evaluation cycle, McNeil-Warren was seen as a Day 2 selection, but he has been picking up buzz as a projected first-round pick in recent weeks, and a strong showing at the Scouting Combine would help fuel those projections even more. If that is the case, Berry might have to do some maneuvering to get into a position to select McNeil-Warren late in the first round.
McNeil-Warren also shares similar skills with current safety Grant Delpit, so selecting him would be a bit of a redundancy and potentially a luxury given all the other needs along the roster. But that can be a puzzle for new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg to solve if the situation presents itself.
The Browns are going to be heavily focused on offense during the first few days of the 2026 NFL Draft, but Berry will be on the lookout for some additional defensive help, which makes McNeil-Warren a player to keep an eye on in the coming months.