DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk NFL Draft 2026 Pick #58 Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren

Many had this guy as a first round talent.

We are crushing it so far..

I wanted him with our 1st 2nd round pick.

The guys on NFL network just said the same

Every player we have picked was projected to go in the first round!!!

Y-town! You made it happen!

What a great pick. This will be two years in a row they land a stud from the MAC.

Dane Brugler's write-up on EMW....

BACKGROUND
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, one of nine children in his family (five boys, four girls), was born and raised in Tampa, Fla., by his mother
(Sharona McNeil). He started playing football at age 7 as a quarterback, running back and wide receiver. McNeil-Warren didn’t have
much of a relationship with his father (Tarus Horne) while growing up. Before high school, though, his mother had him move to St.
Petersburg, Fla., to live with Horne, who was an offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Lakewood High. McNeil-Warren
disagreed with the decision at the time, but they developed a close bond, and he now credits his father for being a role model and
keeping him on track.

McNeil-Warren enrolled at Lakewood High School in Pinellas County, Fla., where he played on varsity all four seasons. Mostly a wide
receiver throughout middle school, he expected to play on offense for his father, but the coaches moved him to safety and cornerback
during his freshman year. As a sophomore, McNeil-Warren accounted for 17 tackles and one interception, as Lakewood started 12-0
before a loss in the 2019 playoff semifinals. He recorded 21 tackles, two interceptions and one forced fumble as a junior in 2020, during
a COVID-19 pandemic-abbreviated season. McNeil-Warren missed several games as a senior because of a concussion and an elbow
fracture — he finished with 65 tackles, three interceptions and one forced fumble. He tried basketball and track but quickly realized he
wanted to be a football-only athlete.

A three-star recruit, McNeil-Warren was the 106th-ranked safety in the 2022 class and the No. 176 recruit in Florida. He received his
first offer during his sophomore year after Toledo head coach Jason Candle (who was at Lakewood to recruit a different player) saw him
playing around on the basketball court. In the spring of his sophomore year, McNeil-Warren picked up his first major offer, from
Miami. After his junior season, he added offers from Indiana, Louisville, Kansas State and Maryland. He was leaning toward Indiana or
Maryland, but schools started to back off his recruitment after his midseason injuries as a senior. Toledo stayed in contact, though, and
McNeil-Warren committed during his school visit a few weeks before signing day. He was the sixth-ranked recruit in Candle’s 2022
class and became the first member of his family to attend college.

McNeil-Warren said he was tempted to enter the transfer portal after his junior year and move up to a major conference, but he stayed
loyal to Toledo — as Toledo had stayed loyal to him as a recruit (McNeil-Warren: “I stayed because it’s family here. If not for Toledo, I
don’t know where I would be.”). McNeil-Warren accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl but pulled out before the event because of a
lingering injury.

STRENGTHS
● Tall, broad-shouldered body type and comfortable manning up tight ends in coverage
● Controlled, fluid athlete who’s able to redirect and carry receiver routes
● Long-legged and rangy, with adequate back-end speed
● Good hands and ball skills (see diving interception on 2025 Central Michigan tape)
● Has a knack for punching the ball out (nine career forced fumbles)
● Plays assignment sound (stays home) and understands field leverage on back-side contain
● Route anticipation took a jump between junior and senior seasons
● Toggles speed in pursuit to avoid blockers and break down as open-field tackler
● Not shy dropping his shoulder and driving through middle-field targets
● Called for just one penalty in college (1,861 career defensive snaps)
● NFL scouts say he was “highly loyal” when it came to transfer opportunities
● Not very vocal but well respected in locker room (NFL scout: “No ego to him, and I really like his competitive confidence.”)

WEAKNESSES
● Narrow through torso, with thin wrists/ankles
● Overaggressive with run fits and late to course correct versus cutback runners
● Needs to clean up tackling mechanics — too many ankle-biting attempts or examples of him throwing his shoulder
● Inconsistent physicality when taking on contact in the box
● Missed final five games of junior season because of shoulder injury (October 2024); missed part of senior season because of elbow
fracture and concussion (September 2021)

SUMMARY
A three-year starter at Toledo, McNeil-Warren lined up as a boundary safety in former defensive coordinator Vince Kehres’ scheme
(rotated to nickel and deep half during tempo). With five draft picks on defense over the past four years, former Toledo head coach (and
current UConn head coach) Jason Candle developed a reputation for finding and developing talent with the Rockets — and
McNeil-Warren is next up in the pipeline. He turned down transfer opportunities, and his trust in the Toledo staff paid off in his
development over the past four years.
Thanks to his footwork and hips, McNeil-Warren is a fluid mover with functional range and improved instincts versus the pass, which
allows him to mirror and match tight ends and running backs. He drives on the football in run support and took a master’s class on the
“Peanut Punch.” You’d wish there was more meat on his bones and will want to see him continue to improve his take-on and
tackle-finishing skills. Overall, McNeil-Warren is an impressive size/speed athlete on the back end, who is at his best
when roaming to read his keys, flow to the ball and quickly close space. He has the rangy tools to push for starting
safety reps as an NFL rookie.

If someone would have posted a draft simulator showing they drafted Fano, KC, Boston, EMW we all would have looked at that draft and said no way you're going to get those players at those spots. Especially the 2 2nds round picks.

... And the simulator would have given you a C- grade due to drafting 2 WRs (instead of 1) and a Safety not on your "needs" list.

... And the simulator would have given you a C- grade due to drafting 2 WRs (instead of 1) and a Safety not on your "needs" list.

Love this pick and how he fell and we were aggressive in trading up for him. Would have been happy to take him at 39. Sort of reminds me of when I would have been happy with JOK in the first round and he fell to us in the 2nd.