Toledo players drafted in first round: How Emmanuel McNeil-Warren can join Quinyon Mitchell on short list originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Day 1 of the NFL Draft is filled with top names from the power conferences. From the Big Ten to the SEC, most of the players selected in the first round compete on the national stage.
And then there’s Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. The safety is used to starring in midweek MACtion games, facing some of the nation’s smaller FBS programs. However, McNeil-Warren has excelled at that level.
In his fourth season at Toledo, McNeil-Warren recorded 77 total tackles, including 36 solo stops. He also forced three fumbles and recovered two.
Vinnie Iyer's latest mock draft has McNeil-Warren selected 23rd by the Philadelphia Eagles. However, it also has the Toledo safety as the only first round pick who didn't play college football at a power conference school or Notre Dame.
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Only two Toledo Rockets have ever been drafted in the first round, with McNeil-Warren looking to be the third. Dan Williams was the first, going at No. 11 in 1993. Quinyon Mitchell was the second in 2024, hearing his name at No. 22.
While there is a long history of Toledo draft picks, including five third-round picks since 2005, the first round talent is uncommon.
Toledo has a long history in college football, but this recent run of draft picks is no fluke for the team at large. Toledo was ranked No. 23 in the AP Poll in 2023, when the team had both Mitchell and McNeil-Warren
Mitchell spent four years at Toledo, totaling 93 solo tackles. In 2022 and 2023, he led the MAC in passes defended, and managed five interceptions in 2022.
In just his second year at the NFL level, Mitchell has already earned an All-Pro selection with the Philadelphia Eagles, who drafted him at No. 22 overall. He also finished second in AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2024.
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Williams shares the Toledo record for single-season sacks (13) and tackles for loss (28). After earning back-to-back first-team All-MAC selections, he entered the NFL Draft, going at No. 11 overall to the Denver Broncos.
Williams spent seven seasons in the NFL between the Broncos and Chiefs. In 87 games, Williams had 161 solo tackles. When the NFL began recording tackles for loss in 1999, Williams had 18 across two seasons before his NFL career was over.
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There is a long history of draft picks in Toledo, dating back 87 years. The past few seasons in Toledo, however, have undoubtedly been the peak in terms of draft capital. After 55 years without a first round pick, the Rockets may have two first round picks in three years.
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