Broncos Land a Sleeper in New Mel Kiper Jr. First-Round Mock

Mock draft season rolls on apace, with ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. just dropping his latest. In Round 1, Kiper has the Denver Broncos selecting Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren at No. 30 overall.

"McNeil-Warren is a bit of a sleeper right now, but I think he could have been a top-15 pick had he played for a Power 4 team. His performance against Kentucky at the beginning of the season got my attention. He had 11 tackles and a fumble recovery in that game. His tape shows real speed to the football, and he has five interceptions and 12 forced fumbles over his four-year career," Kiper wrote.

Kiper also opined that keeping the defense strong will be a priority for Broncos head coach Sean Payton. This would be strictly a "planning ahead" selection with both Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones under contract for 2026.

A McNeil-Warren selection would draw a yawn from most Broncos fans, not unlike last year's first-round selection of Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron. However, as out-of-left-field as the Barron pick seemed to some, it sure did come in handy for the Broncos when Patrick Surtain II went down with a pectoral injury for three weeks.

It's better to have and not need than to need and not have, or so goes the school of thought. One additional wrinkle to why a McNeil-Warren selection here could make sense is the unrestricted free agency of P.J. Locke, who was Denver's No. 3 safety and filled in admirably for the injured Jones in the playoffs. McNeil-Warren would be a great scheme fit.

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Who Else Could Be On the Board?

Washington State Cougars quarterback Zevi Eckhaus (4) is tackled by Toledo Rockets safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (7). — Oct 25, 2025; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback Zevi Eckhaus (4) is tackled by Toledo Rockets safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (7) in the second half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. | James Snook-Imagn Images

McNeil-Warren could be a solid selection for Denver, but how it's viewed in the court of public opinion would depend on which prospects were still on the board at No. 30. Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price went to the Houston Texans at No. 28 in Kiper's mock, but there were some intriguing receivers on the board, like Texas A&M's KC Concepcion.

Kiper may not view Concepcion as a first-rounder, but he's been commonly mocked in the final six selections, including to the Broncos. I recently selected Concepcion in my first mock draft of 2026, with Price as my second-round pick for the Broncos.

If Price has a great Combine this week, he'll cement his status as a first-rounder. As it stands, he's considered a fringe day-one guy, playing second fiddle (once again) to his Notre Dame backfield mate, Jeremiyah Love.

I wouldn't hate a McNeil-Warren selection. But the Broncos have some moves to make in free agency that will inform how they approach their first-round selection.

Right now, the Broncos are at the NFL Scouting Combine, which kicked off in earnest on Tuesday with coach and general manager press conferences. We'll see how McNeil-Warren's stock does after his week in Indianapolis.