It’s hard not to be thrilled with what Andrew Berry and the Cleveland Browns did during the 2026 NFL Draft. Their biggest needs were offensive tackle and wide receiver, and they managed to come out of the first 50 picks with Spencer Fano, KC Concepion, and Denzel Boston.
We all knew that this would be an offensive-heavy draft, and rightfully so after the Browns averaged just 16.4 points per game last season. However, it’s never smart to completely ignore an entire side of the ball, and that’s what makes the Emmanuel McNeil-Warren pick so sound.
The selection was an obvious steal based on the consensus board (No. 24), but it’s becoming more apparent that it was among the best selections in the draft.
McNeil-Warren was one of the best picks of the 2026 draft
In a recent article by Matt Miller of ESPN, he wrote about the 100 best picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. In no surprise, three selections made the list for Miller, including the picks of Fano and Concepion. But the pick of McNeil-Warren was among Miller’s favorite picks in the entire draft and he explained why here:
“Often slotted in the late teens or early 20s in mock drafts, teams pushed (McNeil-Warren) down the board after an average combine workout (4.52 seconds in the 40-yard dash). That, coupled with the annual slippage of safety prospects, left him available toward the end of Round 2. Safety might not have ranked as a cardinal need for Cleveland, but we can’t preach ‘best player available’ and then not applaud when a team follows through.”
Safeties do have a tendency to fall during the NFL Draft, and that’s how someone as talented as Caleb Downs goes at No. 11 and Dillon Thieneman at No. 25. It’s just a position that teams don’t value early in the draft, but once the season arrives, it’s really hard to play without quality safeties.
But the reason why McNeil-Warren fell still doesn’t make a ton of sense. Miller cited an average combine workout with a 4.52 40-yard dash. And yet, McNeil-Warren had a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.01 out of 10. Considering his size (nearly 6-4), a 4.52 40-yard dash is more than acceptable. In fact, it’s considered above average for the position regardless of his size.
The Browns benefited from teams passing on McNeil-Warren because of the positional value and “average” athleticism. But now, he is expected to compete for a starting job right away, and his ability to play all over the field makes him a perfect fit in Mike Rutenberg’s defense.
It’s easy to say that a player is a steal considering where he was drafted compared to his ranking on the consensus board, and “EMW” certainly qualifies. But this has a chance to be one of the best picks in the entire draft, as several draft analysts, such as Daniel Jeremiah, believe he was one of the best 15 players in the entire class.
Don’t be surprised if McNeil-Warren ends up being the best player from the entire draft class for the Browns. He has that type of upside in Cleveland.
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