One of the top safety prospects in the 2026 NFL draft that has been linked to the Chicago Bears is Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, a potential first-round pick depending on where the safety class pans out this year.
While Ohio State’s Caleb Downs is expected to be the first safety taken off the board, McNeil-Warren is a name that has shot up in mock drafts, and could be a big area of focus for the Bears who have both starting safeties, Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard, as pending free agents.
On Thursday, McNeil-Warren spoke to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine and detailed his meeting with the Bears on the first day of everything, noting how much the opportunity means to him. McNeil-Warren represents the third straight year that a standout player from Toledo is projected to be taken early in the draft, with Quinyon Mitchell being drafted 22nd overall in the 2024 draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
“I’ve met with them on the first day that I got here,” McNeil-Warren said, via CHGO. “It went great, they’re all a great coaching staff. Just going into the room with (Al Harris) with great excitement, it’s everything. I feel like wherever you’re at, if you know how to play ball, they’re going to find you. Being at Toledo, working hard every day, trying to keep the motivation that they’re going to find me. Toledo is a small school so I work harder than anybody cause Power 5 schools, it’s easier to find them.”
McNeil-Warren has been named as an All-America selection through several media outlets for his standout 2025 season, and with a standout performance at the combine, he will continue to hear his name as an early first-round pick. It could be a great opportunity for the Bears if McNeil-Warren is available at their pick, although recent chatter around the team sounds as if they may address defensive line before anything else.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren discusses pre-draft meeting with Bears
Reporting by Mike Pendleton, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
