There are plenty of choices that will be available for the Philadelphia Eagles with the 23rd overall pick, but general manager Howie Roseman might not select one that fans would be interested in.
The Athletic's Zach Berman was answering questions regarding the 2026 NFL Draft and what the Eagles could be doing. Berman was asked, "Who is your ‘I don’t expect it’ potential first-round target of the Eagles?" and he looked at a safety who has been discussed potentially going to Philly.
"Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren — even if Eagles fans clamoring for a safety might think I’m foolish. It’s not that I don’t like the player, but I’d be surprised if the Eagles spent a first-round pick on a safety. They used three of their last four picks in the first two rounds on defensive backs. It would be poor resource allocation to spend another one on a safety — unless it was an unbelievable value. (By the way, I think Caleb Downs is the best player in the draft. He’s the type of player who makes you dismiss the resource allocation conversation, but I don’t expect him to fall into range even for an Eagles trade.) Otherwise, I’d sooner have the conversation in Round 2 (or preferably Round 3 or later, if I were Roseman) and use the early picks to address the offense and/or edge rusher."
Eagles not expected to select Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
McNeil-Warren has been projected as a first-round pick in the draft, as he has shown to have size and playmaking ability to perform well at the NFL level. Last year with the Rockets, he racked up 77 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, five pass deflections, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, one touchdown, and a half of a sack.
The Eagles have a need at safety with Reed Blankenship out the door to the Houston Texans in free agency, and they traded Sydney Brown to the Atlanta Falcons. Philly has 2025 second-round pick Andrew Mukuba and will most likely start either Marcus Epps or Michael Carter II alongside Mukuba.
Depth at safety has been a big concern for the Eagles, but many have said that Philly most likely won't use a high draft pick on safety. Instead, they preferred to try to gut it out with Epps or Carter for 2026 and then address it next offseason.
It would be a shame to pass on McNeil-Warren if he is available, since the Eagles have had great experiences with Toledo defensive backs. Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell worked out pretty well with an All-Pro selection last year in just his second season in the NFL.
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The expectation should be that Roseman is going to go for either an offensive lineman or a wide receiver in the first round of the draft and leave safety alone for the time being.
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