The Browns may have found a little more than they bargained for in the 2026 NFL Draft, and one rookie in particular is starting to make his case for a bigger slice of the defense.
Denzel Boston has already started to look like a major hit at wide receiver, but the second-round pick who has flown a bit more under the radar is safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. Through three weeks, he’s logged just 44 defensive snaps, sitting behind Grant Delpit and Ronnie Hickman on the depth chart. But the usage trend suggests Cleveland may be inching toward a larger role for him.
McNeil-Warren’s snap share has bounced around early, going from 25 percent of the defense in Week 1 to 15 percent in Week 2 and then up to 26 percent in Week 3. Most of his work has come deep, though the Browns have also slid him closer to the box at times - the kind of deployment many expected could be his path to playing time before the draft.
That matters because Cleveland’s current personnel groupings are creating openings. The Browns used three linebackers on a handful of defensive snaps in Week 1, but they’ve gone away from that the last two games and leaned on Carson Schwesinger and Quincy Williams alone at linebacker. With Myles Harden and Mehki Blackmon joining Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell in nickel looks - Campbell was inactive in Week 3 - a physical safety near the line can help against the run without forcing the Browns out of five defensive backs.
There’s also not much resistance in the safety room. Free agent pickup Daniel Thomas has played only one defensive snap all season, while Donovan McMillon has yet to log one on defense.
Easton Mascarenas-Arnold hasn’t played a defensive snap since Week 1, either. That leaves McNeil-Warren as the obvious next man up if Cleveland wants another defender in the box for run support.
And he’s done enough with the chances he’s gotten to make that conversation worthwhile. Against the Panthers on Sunday, McNeil-Warren earned a 75.0 defensive grade from PFF, which ranked third on the Browns’ defense. He also posted a 65.1 coverage grade, again third-best on the unit.
The rest of Cleveland’s secondary didn’t fare nearly as well. Delpit received a 40.0 overall defensive grade, the lowest of any Browns defender, and a 41.0 in pass coverage, also worst on the team.
Blackmon finished with the second-worst pass coverage grade at 49.9 and the third-worst overall defensive grade at 45. Harden and Blackmon also posted the two lowest run defense grades for Cleveland, at 39.2 and 30.0, respectively.
Even if you don’t buy every PFF number, the larger point is hard to miss: there’s room for McNeil-Warren to carve out more work.
The Browns’ next test comes at home against the Steelers, and that matchup could shape how often the rookie gets on the field. Pittsburgh is using 11 personnel on about two-thirds of its offensive snaps, which could make it tougher to justify extra box help unless Cleveland expects a run. If the Steelers shift more toward 2TE sets with Darnell Washington getting involved early, McNeil-Warren could see a healthy bump in reps.
He’s not about to take Delpit’s or Hickman’s starting job. But after three games, the Browns have already seen enough uneven play elsewhere in the secondary to know there’s a path for McNeil-Warren to become a bigger part of the defense.
In Other News...
Browns Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Crowded QB Room
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In a league where injuries can turn a room upside down in a hurry, that approach makes sense from a roster-building standpoint. The Browns have watched other teams scramble for help at the position, but they are not treating that market as a reason to move either Sanders or Gabriel, preferring to keep both around as depth while the season takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
Denzel Ward Is Finally Being Used Like Browns Fans Always Wanted
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McMillan finished with just one catch for 12 yards, another reminder of how disruptive Ward can be when hes allowed to travel with a No. 1 target. He has often been underrated in past seasons, but his coverage ability and pass breakup production have consistently placed him among the leagues best corners, and this new approach only adds to the sense that Cleveland is finally maximizing a key piece of its defense. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Monken May Already Be Changing Something In Cleveland
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What has drawn attention is the early coaching imprint Todd Monken appears to be leaving on the group. The article points to a possible shift in how Cleveland is being shaped offensively, even as the team turns quickly to the next challenge in Week 4. For a Browns team trying to stabilize its identity, the bigger question may be whether the changes already showing up can hold up once the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]