Bruce Feldman—Even though it added Jaelan Phillips in free agency after picking Nic Scourton last year, Carolina still could use another edge to crank up the defense GM Dan Morgan is looking for. But this big safety from the MAC is too good to pass up here. The 6-3 1/2, 202-pound McNeil-Warren ran a 4.52 40 at the combine after a third-team All-America season in which he became just the second Rocket in almost two decades to make the AP All-America teams (Quinyon Mitchell is the other).
McNeil-Warren made 77 tackles and had three forced fumbles and two interceptions. Rival coaches watched him on tape and were surprised why someone at a Power 4 conference wasn’t able to lure him away from the MAC, but he did miss almost half of the 2024 season due to injury (though he still made 61 tackles).
“He is a freakshow,” said an OC who played Toledo last year. “He was super rangy, super athletic, played downhill. Had the ball skills. He could close space so fast and didn’t miss tackles. It’s pretty cool that he didn’t leave. I’m sure he had opportunities. You’d turn the tape and immediately could see, he’s different. He just pops when you watch them on the tape. His athleticism and how smooth he was and how long he was, it all translated. He was the best kid we played all year and we played (a bunch of programs that at one point were ranked).”
