Chiefs trade up to select LSU CB Mansoor Delane in NFL draft

Pete Grathoff, The Kansas City Star on Apr 23, 2026

Published in Football

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs entered the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night with a single-digit pick for the first time in more than a decade.

But Chiefs general manager Brett Veach wasn’t content to be selecting at No. 9 overall. So he made a trade shortly after the draft began in Pittsburgh.

The Chiefs traded with the Cleveland Browns for the sixth overall pick. The Browns received picks Nos. 9, 74 and 141.

With the sixth overall pick, the Chiefs took LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.

Here is what ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. wrote about him in a mock draft: “Opponents completed 72 percent of their pass attempts against Miami last season, by far the worst in the NFL. In fact, it was the worst since Tampa Bay allowed 72.5 percent in 2018. Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas are out, and Miami needs a legit CB1.”

This is the scouting report from NFL.com: Delane is one of the top cornerbacks in a CB-rich draft. He excels in press coverage, altering release timing with punches and slides. Smooth hips and efficient footwork keep him connected in man coverage, while his processing allows for quick transitions in off-man and short zone looks.

“He has good top-end speed for vertical phasing but is inconsistent turning to find the football. While he locks in on the route at times, he’s rarely oblivious to the quarterback’s actions, allowing him to slam catch windows shut and play the football. He played through a core muscle injury for much of the 2025 season and still performed at an elite level. Delane’s emergence over the past two years might be indicative of what’s to come, as he’s shown lockdown potential.”