Daniel Jeremiah's First Mock Draft Has Vikings Taking a Safety at 18

In his first mock draft of the year, NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah has the Vikings taking a safety with the 18th overall pick. No, Ohio State's Caleb Downs doesn't fall that far (DJ has him going 11th to the Dolphins). The selection is Toledo's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, who was PFF's highest-graded safety in the country this past season.

"I’m higher on McNeil-Warren than some other people around the league, but I love his combination of size and explosive playmaking ability," Jeremiah wrote. "He could help replace Harrison Smith if the soon-to-be 37-year-old does indeed retire."

McNeil-Warren is projected by some analysts to be a second-round pick. He's 51st overall on PFF's big board. But given how plugged-in Jeremiah is to the draft scene, we probably should move on from any expectation that EMW might be on the board when the Vikings pick at No. 50 in the second round. If they want him, it seems like it'll have to happen quite a bit earlier than that.

A three-star recruit out of Florida in 2022, McNeil-Warren chose Toledo despite holding a handful of power-conference offers. After playing sparingly as a true freshman, he broke out with a huge sophomore season in 2023. That year, he recorded 69 tackles, four TFL, two interceptions, and four forced fumbles. His 95.0 PFF run defense grade led all defensive players in the country, not just safeties.

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | Matt Bush-Imagn Images

McNeil-Warren continued to play well in 2024, even if his counting stats weren't quite as gaudy (in part due to an injury that cost him five games). And although he could've easily transferred to a big program and been compensated nicely, he stayed at Toledo for his senior year, saying "It’s family here." EMW went on to have a huge senior season with 77 tackles, 5.5 TFL, two picks (including a pick-six) and three forced fumbles. His 91.9 PFF grade, this time led by an elite coverage grade, was the best in the country for a safety.

McNeil-Warren feels like the kind of player who could thrive in Brian Flores' defense. During his four years at Toledo, he lined up in the box on 52 percent of his snaps. He was at free safety over 33 percent of the time, in the slot 11 percent of the time, and also lined up at corner or on the defensive line on rare occasions. Skill set-wise, he does a bit of everything. He flies downhill in run defense, he tackles well, and he makes plays in coverage. His eight forced fumbles and five interceptions over the past three seasons say a lot about his nose for the football. Listed at 6'2" and 202 pounds, he clearly has NFL size and athleticism.

#Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is emerging as one of my favorite players in the draft.

Big hitter with elite instincts and ball skills makes him a machine in forcing turnovers. Best G5 prospect in the draft for me, Top-32 player and rising. pic.twitter.com/hEXlJHqcCq
— Andy (@AndyyNFL) January 26, 2026

With Harrison Smith expected to retire this offseason, safety makes a lot of sense as a position the Vikings could target in the early rounds of this year's draft. Oregon's Dillon Thieneman is another player who would fit nicely in Flores' defense, but he may not make it to pick 50 either (Jeremiah has him going 25th overall). If the Vikings want Thieneman or McNeil-Warren, it might have to happen in the first round — whether at 18 or after trading back.

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