Mel Kiper Jr. released his pre-combine mock draft on Tuesday and the ESPN draft analyst has the Broncos beefing up their secondary.
Kiper has Denver selecting Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren with the 30th pick in the draft. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound defensive back had 77 tackles, two interceptions and 0.5 sacks last season for the Rockets.
Broncos 2026 NFL mock draft 1.0: Denver passes on skill talent for a safety in first round
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"The Broncos have two solid safeties in Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones, so this pick might not reap immediate rewards. But neither did the Jahdae Barron pick last April," Kiper writes. "Denver is planning ahead in the secondary and building something there, as coach Sean Payton focuses on keeping this defense strong.
"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."
McNeil-Warren is listed as the No. 2 safety on Kiper's big board behind Ohio State's Caleb Downs. Kiper has Downs going to the Jets with the No. 2 overall pick.
Denver Post Broncos beat reporter Luca Evans also has McNeil-Warren coming to Denver in his mock draft.
The NFL draft will take place April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
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The post And the Broncos select … Check out Denver’s pick in the 2026 NFL mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. appeared first on Denver Post
