As the month of March continues, and all 32 franchises look ahead to the 2026 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears have a handful of needs to address, with safety being one of them. Getting younger and faster on defense will be a major priority for the Bears, and part of that will include finding players who fit Dennis Allen's defense.
For the Chicago Bears, this year's draft will represent a significant opportunity to continue adding to the foundation that was established during the first year of the Ben Johnson-Ryan Poles era. With four picks inside the top-100, including two in the second-round, one name that should intrigue the Bears is Toledo Rockets safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
Let's get into our scouting report on McNeil-Warren.
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, University of Toledo, (6-foot-3, 201 pounds)
From his NFL.com draft profile via Lance Zierlein:
"Long, downhill safety capable of bolstering a team's run defense and playing enforcer over the middle. McNeil-Warren is most valuable when playing near the line of scrimmage or in robber positioning. He anticipates well in coverage and is quick to close on receivers but will need to be protected by scheme to prevent speed mismatches. He's urgent in run support and has a feel for slipping blocks/meeting runners early in the carry. He's a rangy tackler, but needs to quiet his feet when diagnosing and flowing downhill to tackle. McNeil-Warren might be pigeon-holed schematically but he's good at his job."
Film:
Strengths:
- Will use massive frame to make his presence felt on every down.
- Fast and physical run defender.
- Versatility was on full display throughout college as he played in the box and roaming the field.
- Has a knack for creating turnovers. Nine forced fumbles in college.
- Will change direction at a moments notice when in coverage.
- Teams will covet his size and ability to take on bigger wide receivers and tight ends, especially in the slot.
Weaknesses:
- Struggles to shed blocks in the run game.
- Messy footwork at times can lead to him getting beat early.
- Will need to learn how to be more disciplined as a run defender, especially in open space.
- Has lost ground to faster wide receivers when playing man coverage.
Does McNeil-Warren fit the Bears defense?
Projecting McNeil-Warren's fit in the Bears is certainly interesting. From an athleticism perspective, he checks all the boxes the Bears value in a safety. He's athletic, rangy, and shows a clear understanding of the game at a high level. He also plays a physical brand of football. Chicago will also be enamored with his length and see it as a true asset.
But he does need to improve some of the technical aspects of his game. NFL offenses have continued to get faster throughout the last decade, which means McNeil-Warren will need to learn how to hold up in man coverage. Improving and being more patient as an open field tackler should also be one of the top priorities on his list as a rookie.
Conclusion:
A solid prospect with the ability to thrive in zone defense, McNeil-Warren is a tricky prospect to grade. Some teams will grade him out as a late first-rounder, while others will look at him and grade him out as a second-round pick. He's still a solid enough prospect to start for at least a decade in the NFL.
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