In the lead-up to the NFL Draft, there is often a similar trend that appears for a few lucky prospects — and a few unlucky ones. There's always that handful of prospects who have seemingly willed their first-round pedigree into existence, appearing in mock drafts for the first time around February after a college season spent in anonymity. Call it one of the perks of having a great (and pricey) agent.
Then, there are the unlucky ones. The ones who get shouted down by "anonymous" scouts and NFL executives for no apparent reason. Maybe it's NFL teams deliberately trying to get them to fall to their draft slots. Maybe it's the fact that their representation is not as well-connected.
There is no better example of that dichotomy than comparing the pre-draft free fall of NFL phenom Lamar Jackson, who was torn apart in the weeks prior to the 2018 NFL Draft, resulting in a slide that saw him selected 32nd overall. He, predictably, has no agent. On the other hand, Ty Simpson has an undoubtedly questionable college resume. Armed with one of the largest agencies in American sports, CAA, and a prominent agent like Jimmy Sexton, Simpson's camp has successfully fed us the idea that he's a first-round QB. A development that very well may come true on draft day. (Also, whatever you do, don't look into who represents Dan Orlovsky, Simpson's No. 1 fan.)
In any case, the moral of the story is not to believe everything you read. The latest victim of the pre-draft "hit piece" is Toledo's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. A player from a small school who has no known agency at this time. In preparation for the NFL Draft, experts from Mel Kiper Jr. to Daniel Jeremiah to Lance Zierlein have mocked EMW somewhere between No. 19 and No. 30 in their various mock drafts.
A new report could make Emmanuel McNeil-Warren a real option at No. 39
The latest report from FOX Sports' Eric Williams quotes a pair of anonymous NFL scouts who have questions about McNeil-Warren, from his athletic ability to whether he is a high-end enough prospect worthy of first-round selection.
"He scares me because he collision tackles with his head down too much," the scout told Williams. "He’s best in zone coverage but will struggle in man coverage due to his speed and athletic ability."
"He lacks closing speed and deep speed," added another scout. "He’s a good player, but not dominant enough for the first round in my opinion."
Certainly not the harshest critique, though it seems to fly directly in contrast with what has been believed about his level of play since before the NFL Combine. In fact, Pro Football Focus ranks EMW as their No. 21 overall prospect, a development that is likely due to his elite 91.9 grade in 2025, which placed second out of 936 qualifiers at the position.
The idea that his athletic prowess is less than worthy also seems to contradict reality. His Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.01 ranks 131st out of 1,313 safety prospects since 1987, with a respectable 40-yard dash to boot (4.52). Even his stats, at the admittedly lower level of competition at Toledo, pop off the page.
When he started getting the lion's share of playing time from 2023 onward, he filled the page. His totals of 214 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, five interceptions, 13 passes defensed, eight forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries are not too shabby, I'd say.
The reality is that the Browns can do a lot worse. Pre-draft smokescreen or not, if the Browns are able to select EMW with their second-round pick on April 24, it could pay off for years to come. A safety trio featuring Ronnie Hickman, Grant Delpit, and the versatile McNeil-Warren has a strong case for being the league's best from Day 1.
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