Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren has a pre-draft visit scheduled with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz .
McNeil-Warren is currently visiting the Miami Dolphins after concluding recent visits with the New England Patriots , Cleveland Browns , Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons .
McNeil-Warren has a strong chance to be a first round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
McNeil-Warren, who stands at 6-foot-3 1/2, 201 pounds, ran a 4.52 at the NFL Combine. He also ran a 1.55 in the 10-yard split, posted a 35.5′" in the vertical jump and 10′ 2″ in the broad jump. McNeul-Warren has 32 1/8'' arms and 9 1/4'' hands.
McNeil-Warren is the latest underrated gem from Toledo . He wears a bunch of different hats in the secondary, with good range combined with natural instincts to cover ground in the deep part of the field, but also the size and physicality to bang in the box.
He was named second-team All-American in 2025, recording 77 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sack, five pass deflections, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions, one of which was a pick six.
"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," Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote in a scouting report. "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."
Jordan Plocher of Pro Football Focus has the Pittsburgh Steelers landing McNeil-Warren at No. 21 overall in his latest mock draft.
"The Steelers have been busy addressing roster needs this offseason, trading with the Indianapolis Colts for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and signing free-agent cornerback Jamel Dean . In 2025, the Steelers earned a team 54.5 PFF coverage grade, so adding McNeil-Warren at pick No. 21 should continue to help address a defensive weak point," Plocher wrote.
"In 2025, McNeil-Warren's 91.9 PFF overall grade ranked first among all FBS safeties, as did his 92.0 PFF coverage grade. For his career, he logged 966 box snaps, 204 slot snaps and 624 free safety snaps. McNeil-Warren is also an asset in run support, having posted an 83.2 PFF run-defense grade in 2025."
The Steelers signed safety Jaquan Brisker to a one-year deal, so he's not a long-term answer at the position. In addition, DeShone Elliot t is coming off an ACL injury and Jalen Ramsey is 31 and his future with the team is unclear.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers to Host Physical Downhill Safety for Pre-Draft Visit
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