The Browns rightfully attacked the offensive side of the ball in the 2026 NFL Draft. Anyone who sat through the depressing 2025 season was painfully aware of how far Cleveland was from having an NFL-caliber offense. In any case, a smart GM sees value and pounces when the opportunity arises. That's precisely what Browns general manager Andrew Berry did.
As players kept coming off the board in the second round, one hyphenated name stuck out like a sore thumb on the "Top Remaining Prospects" list: Toledo's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. When pick No. 58 came around, Berry couldn't sit on his hands any longer. He called up the San Francisco 49ers and orchestrated a deal, sending them the Nos. 70 and 107 picks in return for Nos. 58 and 152, making McNeil-Warren a Cleveland Brown in the process.
The development brings with it some unintended consequences that complicate matters. Usually, teams employ two starting safeties. While there are defensive packages that get an extra one on the field from time to time, it's typically a two-man group. Last season, that duo was Grant Delpit and Ronnie Hickman. If McNeil-Warren is to play the lion's share of snaps as a rookie, it would necessitate one of those players taking a backseat.
This conundrum is exactly what has landed Grant Delpit, 27, the older (and more expensive) of the two, in the crosshairs of trade chatter. FanSided's Jake Beckman set out to unearth a trade target for each team, and Delpit being the target for the Philadelphia Eagles is bound to draw Browns fans' attention.
"There are some playmakers out there that Howie Roseman can go for to upgrade the [safety] position. Grant Delpit is one of them," said Beckman. "Delpit’s been a pretty steady dude on that Cleveland defense over the past five years. He was never one of the stars, but he held his own… and for a safety in a Jim Schwartz defense, that’s pretty nice."
Grant Delpit could be on the move, and the Eagles still make the most sense
The Eagles have been one of the NFL's best teams in recent years. In fact, their 59–26 record since 2021 is second in the league only to the Buffalo Bills. It's safe to say they're doing just fine, though part of the reason for their success is the aggressiveness shown by their general manager Howie Roseman when it comes to filling holes.
The Eagles' defense is star-studded, but safety is one spot where they could use an upgrade. They're expected to start second-year man Andrew Mukuba and veteran Marcus Epps. While Epps has had success in the league previously, there's a reason why the 30-year-old signed for $1.55 million with only $125,000 guaranteed. His role is hardly cemented.
Delpit would represent an upgrade to be sure, and there's a tangible connection to the Eagles front office to make the possibility all the more likely. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam actually lured Andrew Berry from Philadelphia to become the team's GM back in 2020. What's more, though, is that the Eagles just recently promoted Adam Berry, Andrew's twin brother, to their assistant general manager position.
Who better to negotiate with than your own brother? They've probably been doing it over trading cards and candy bars since they were boys. In all seriousness, the connection truly matters. Just last year, Berry executed a deal with the Eagles when he sent a fifth-round pick and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson to Philly for Kenny Pickett. They can't all be winners. Besides, it was no harm, no foul, as Andrew Berry was somehow able to convince the Raiders to part with a fifth-round pick for Pickett after the signal-caller lost the quarterback competition with Joe Flacco.
While there's plenty of time for things to change, it shouldn't shock anyone if the Eagles are busy immediately following June 1. It is widely expected that they will be trading mercurial wideout A.J. Brown after that date, a necessity due to his complicated contract structure. While it's hardly as earth-shattering, a trade of Delpit right now would cost the Browns an additional $4.9 million in cap space. Waiting until after June 1 instead saves them about $4 million.
Delpit's days in Cleveland could be numbered. Fans should not be surprised if he's wearing midnight green when the season kicks off in September. Should a trade come to fruition, that would mean Emmanuel McNeil-Warren has taken the starting spot in training camp — a silver lining to what would be an emotional parting of ways after five memorable years in Cleveland for Grant Delpit.
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