The NFL Draft is just over a week away, which means it’s time for Todd McShay to release another mock draft. In his latest, McShay has the New England Patriots sticking with pick No. 31, using it to draft Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
For a lot of fans, drafting McNeil-Warren would be a bit of an eyebrow-raising pick. Coming from Toledo, he doesn’t have big-name pedigree, though Toledo does have a strong history of churning out talented defensive backs, like Quinyon Mitchell. Still, fans certainly have other positions in mind for the Patriots’ first-round pick.
McShay addressed that, emphasizing the value that the Patriots would be getting by selecting McNeil-Warren here. In particular, after he came in for a recent Top-30 visit.
“This is a strong value pick late in Round 1. McNeil-Warren is one of three potential first-round prospects the Patriots brought in for a 30 visit, and if last year is any indication, that matters, as the majority of Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf’s picks came from that visit pool,” McShay wrote.
“New England did add Kevin Byard in free agency after losing Jaylinn Hawkins, but Byard is 32 and on a one-year deal, so there’s still a long-term need at the position. While the offensive and defensive lines may be higher priorities—especially if the anticipated A.J. Brown move happens after June 1—this pick checks both the value and future need boxes.”
What to Know About Potential New England Patriots Draft Pick Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
GettyEmmanuel McNeil-Warren forces a fumble
A Florida native, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren was relatively underrecruited coming out of high school. 247 Sports had him as a three-star recruit and the 119th-ranked safety in the Class of 2022. Eventually, McNeil-Warren landed on Toledo, over offers from ECU, Indiana, and Bowling Green.
Early on in his college career, McNeil-Warren would largely make his presence felt on special teams. That’s where, as a freshman, he would play in 12 games. However, as a sophomore, he would go on to make his impact felt on the defense, becoming more of an everyday player along the defense.
By the time his college career had come to an end and he declared for the draft, McNeil-Warren had played in 48 games for Toledo, collecting 214 tackles, 1.o sacks, and 11.0 tackles for a loss in the process. He would also add 5 interceptions and 13 passes defended. His senior season in 2025 would be celebrated, as he earned Second-Team All-American honors.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com recently broke down what he saw from McNeil-Warren. Certainly, there’s a lot to be excited about.
“Long, downhill safety capable of bolstering a team’s run defense and playing enforcer over the middle,” Zierlein wrote. 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.”
Eliot Wolf Opened the Door to the Patriots Trading Up in the Draft
GettyNew England Patriots EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf left the door open to potentially trade up in the NFL Draft.
Todd McShay may not be mocking the Patriots to trade up, but that doesn’t mean New England isn’t going to do just that. In fact, at his pre-draft press conference, EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf opened the door to doing just that.
“We’re open to anything,” Wolf said. “Whatever way we can possibly improve the team, we’re open to. We have 11 picks. Most of those are kind of later in the draft, but we do have some flexibility with those 11 picks. I think it’ll depend a little bit on how the board falls. If we view that there’s a player that whether he’s falling or there’s somebody that we think we need to go get, we’ll be open to those opportunities.”
It’s obviously not a promise that the Patriots are going to trade up, but it is an interesting philosophy to keep an eye on in the draft. There is a willingness to do what it takes to improve this roster.
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