After loading up on offense, the Cleveland Browns turned to the defensive side of the ball, trading up to take Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. Trade into the third round for Florida T Austin Barber.
An eventful second day of the NFL Draft concluded with Cleveland finally addressing the defensive side of the ball, then adding some depth along the offensive line.
After opening up the second round by taking Washington safety Denzel Boston at No. 39 overall, the Browns weren't slated to make another pick until No. 70 overall in the third round.
As Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren continued to slide through most of the second round, though, Browns GM Andrew Berry saw an opportunity to add a player that they considered taking at 39.
Berry executed a trade back into the second round to grab the 6-3 versatile defensive back, sending picks 70 and 107 to the San Francisco 49ers for picks 58 and 152.
It marked just the third time in Berry's tenure that he traded up in the NFL Draft to grab a player. And just the second time he jumped into the second round to do so (Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah in 2021).
McNeil-Warren's skillset was worth it. The Tampa, Fla. native offers Cleveland a bigger-bodied defensive back who can play just about anywhere on defense. At Toledo, he was arguably at his best down in the box as an enforcer in the run game.
In the NIL era of college football, McNeil-Warren opted to stay at Toledo for all four years of his college career. In 48 games he compiled 214 tackles, 13 PBUs, 5 interceptions and forced nine fumbles. He was named a Third-Team AP All-American in 2025. And First-Team All MAC.
With a top defensive need addressed, Berry then turned his attention back to the offensive side of the football before Day 2 of the draft was complete.
After trading out of pick 74, which Cleveland had received from the Kansas City Chiefs in a first-round trade back from No. 6 overall to No. 9 overall, with the New York Giants, it initially looked like Friday night was over for the Browns.
Then came another aggressive move by Berry up the board to jump to pick 86, sending three day three picks to the Chargers to select Florida tackle Austin Barber.
New head coach Todd Monken revealed that they view Barber as a tackle first, but that he could ultimately move inside. Barber has played both o-line bookends in his career. In 50 career games at Florida, including 39 starts, Barber spent 34 at left tackle and five at right tackle.
And so the first three. rounds of the draft came and went with four for the Browns first five picks being used on offensive players. It's a testament to the Browns' emphasis on giving Monken the tools necessary to build a functional offense in 2026.
Browns Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Browns. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.