The 2025 season was a rough one for the Cleveland Browns, but one thing that went well for the team was defense. Cleveland had an elite defense last season, led by Myles Garrett, who set the single-season record for sacks with 23. Now, the Browns are hoping the defense can remain elite, and that all of the offseason acquisitions on offense will help close the gap between the two units.
While the majority of Cleveland’s offseason moves were focused on improving the offense, the franchise did make a couple of exciting defensive additions. One of those additions was Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, who the Browns selected in the second round of the 2026 Draft. McNeil-Warren was graded as a first-round safety, but the team was able to land him with their fourth pick of the draft. That has fans extremely excited about his future.
Something else fans should be excited about is how one of McNeil-Warren‘s biggest strengths will address one of the rare weaknesses of Cleveland’s defense. That is the ability to take the ball away. The safety thrived in college at forcing turnovers, and the Browns defense can do a much better job of that.
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren’s ball-hawking ability can make Browns defense even more frightening
McNeil-Warren played four seasons at Toledo, and he was credited with five interceptions and nine forced fumbles. However, that’s a number that the safety vehemently disputes. In a recent interview with Andrew Siciliano, on the Best Podcast Available, McNeil-Warren argued that he had more than nine forced fumbles, but for whatever reason, he wasn’t credited with all of them. The young defender believes the actual number was 13.
The Browns, on the other hand, only had 18 total takeaways last season — 11 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries. While the defense was ranked amongst the top units in the league in the majority of defensive categories, the 18 forced turnovers had Cleveland 22nd in the NFL.
If McNeil-Warren’s ball-hawking ability immediately translates to the NFL, he could single-handedly take the Browns to another level. Playing good defense and stopping teams is one thing, but taking the ball away can be game-changing. The Browns hopefully have a game changer in Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
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