Most safeties don’t look forward to facing Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson, but one Toledo draft prospect thinks differently. Ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren grabbed attention for his startling comments about who he looks forward to taking on next year.

“I want to go against Pat Mahomes,” Emmanuel McNeil-Warren said when asked about which quarterback he is excited to face during an appearance on the Up & Adams Show. “I feel like they’re the best. They are one of my top two quarterbacks. I used to love watching. Lamar Jackson, I used to like watching. So just doing against him, it’d be exciting, amazing, just to like pick them all.”

McNeil-Warren’s confidence in taking on top-tier superstars like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson stems from his relentless four-year college career, where he recorded around 106 solo tackles, 108 assists, 1.0 sack, two fumble recoveries, and five interceptions. These consistent performances helped secure Second-team All-American (2025) and First-team All-MAC (2025) honors.

Once Emmanuel McNeil-Warren began seeing consistent snaps, the production followed. After recording 32 tackles in his sophomore year, he took another leap as a junior, racking up 35 tackles in just eight appearances while also snagging an interception.

Fresh off a Top-30 visit with the New England Patriots, the projected first-rounder admitted he enjoyed the city and facilities, brushing off the cold weather as nothing new after his time in Toledo.

But it is his fearless mindset that truly stands out. After openly calling out matchups against Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, and even welcoming the challenge of bringing down Derrick Henry, McNeil-Warren would put them on notice before even playing a snap.

However, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson aren’t the only NFL players Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is excited to lock horns with when he makes his NFL debut. The Rockets’ safety named star running back for the Baltimore Ravens, Derrick Henry, as someone he is excited to tackle.

“I feel like when you are against a bigger dude, so you can’t be scared to come at him. You gotta bring you gotta bring that power, Warren said about taking on Derrick Henry. “I do love a challenge, for that’s how I could be better.”

Derrick Henry himself is coming off a great season with the second-most running back touchdowns (16) with 1,500+ rushing yards. While the draft prospect is high on confidence, those would certainly be tough stats to be up against in your NFL career.

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren’s confidence might be turning heads, but it is far from unprecedented in draft circles. Many have walked into the league with confidence at an all-time high. One such player is Jalen Ramsey, who declared himself the best player in his class ahead of the 2016 draft.

With this confidence and elite defensive skill, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren has emerged as a much-anticipated prospect ahead of the draft, with an AFC team gearing up for a meeting with the Toledo superstar.

Browns set 2026 NFL Draft visit with Emmanuel McNeil-Warren

With the Cleveland Browns parting ways with their former defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, the franchise is looking to present new DC Mike Rutenberg the best opportunity to succeed by drafting Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.

Furthermore, the Browns have not secured a safety in NFL free agency yet, outside of tendering Ronnie Hickman Jr. Adding a young one early in the draft could be the plan moving forward.

Over the next few days, the Cleveland front office has scheduled a pre-draft visit with Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, as shared by the Rockets safety on the Up & Adams Show.

“I got one coming up, probably like next week, with the Cleveland Browns. I had one like a couple of weeks ago on the Patriots, and it went well,” Emmanuel McNeil-Warren said.

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren’s elite college production and fearless attitude toward facing NFL superstars make him one of the more intriguing safety prospects in this year’s draft class. A potential landing spot with the Cleveland Browns could allow the Toledo standout to prove his bold predictions right from day one.