As Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach got their guy at the beginning of the first round in the 2026 NFL Draft. While the selection of LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane was somewhat of a surprise, the real shocker to fans was the aggressiveness the Chiefs employed to secure the top-rated corner. The Chiefs traded up three spots (giving up two additional picks in this year’s draft) in order to draft Delane, who immediately projects as the number one cornerback on the Chiefs’ depth chart.
Delane
shared his excitement about being selected by the Chiefs on Thursday night. Likewise, the Chiefs’ brain trust of head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach expressed excitement about adding Delane to the Chiefs’ defense.
First, Reid spoke of the traits Delane possesses and will bring to a new Chiefs’ secondary. “He’s a good kid. Tremendous amount of energy, great ball skills, great feet, good size, and good speed on top of all that.”
Delane’s size allows him to be a physical corner in press-man coverage, a great fit for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme. Veach, himself known for falling in love with certain prospects, clearly fell in love with Delane’s football traits.
“He’s super fluid. He’s athletic. He’s a guy who plays patiently, is super aware, and has great ball skills. He’s tough, he’ll tackle. We think he can play inside and outside.”
Like other players on the Chiefs’ roster, Delane’s experiences and skills gained in other sports may have translated onto the football field. Reid mentioned Delane’s experience as a wrestler, serving his physicality on the football field well.
“He was a wrestler growing up. Dad threw him in when he was a kid, and he wrestled all the way through. So he kind of knows how to get down there and get dirty. Takes good angles, which you don’t learn in wrestling, but by playing. He does a nice job with it.”
It wasn’t just the physical traits Delane will bring onto the field, but also the intangibles he will bring to the locker room, which made Delane a worthy selection at the top of the NFL Draft.
“You don’t want corners who don’t have confidence. If somebody’s going to be cocky, you want those guys to be cocky. He believes in himself, but then there’s a humble side to him too, which I appreciated.” Reid continued referencing the Chiefs’ draft process with players. “We grill them. We’re not showing them all good plays when he played. So any of these guys, we pull out a couple of their bad ones and show it to them. So we’re not there to pump their egos up. So some guys handle that well, and some don’t. But he handled it and was very upfront about it. ‘I was wrong. I should have done this.’”
This confidence, humility, and swagger will serve Delane well in a Chiefs’ secondary with several new starters. Delane will be tasked with replacing All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, along with Jaylen Watson, who are both now members of the Los Angeles Rams. Along with these departures, safety Brian Cook signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency.
Given Delane’s premium draft position and the draft capital required to acquire him, the Chiefs clearly view him as an immediate starter and potential leader on the defense for years to come. Veach acknowledged the Chiefs viewed Delane as the consensus No. 1 cornerback in the draft, and a top-five player on their draft board. Veach sees Delane as an immediate difference maker for the Chiefs’ defense and was aggressive in getting his guy.
“It’s either go to (pick) six and get Delane, the guy you want, a top five guy on our board—or just leave it to chance. At least three or four weeks ago, we kind of just honed in on this guy, and he was our guy.”
