KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs took two big swings at shoring up their defense Thursday night, trading up three spots in the NFL draft to pick LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane sixth overall and then using the No. 29 pick on Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods.
The Chiefs sent the ninth selection to Cleveland along with No. 74 and No. 148 to move up and ensure they got the cornerback they wanted in Delane, who should help fill the void
created by the trade of Trent McDuffie to the Rams. The Browns moved down for the second straight year, going from No. 2 to No. 4 last year in a move that included Jacksonville's first-round pick this year.
“They made the best move in the draft," Delane said of the Chiefs, "and I'm excited.”
Two hours later, the Chiefs used the pick they landed in the McDuffie deal to get Woods, the 6-foot-2, 298-pounder, who fills another of their biggest needs. The Chiefs have little depth at defensive tackle behind Chris Jones, who turns 32 in July, who is coming off his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl appearance but whose days as an elite game-wrecker could be numbered.
Delane had emerged as the top cornerback available after he followed three seasons at Virginia Tech with an All-American season with the Tigers. He made 45 tackles and two interceptions in 11 starts last year and was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.
The Chiefs traded McDuffie, one of the NFL's elite cornerbacks, to the Rams earlier in the offseason in a deal that landed them the No. 29 pick along with fifth- and sixth-rounders and a third-round pick in 2027. But that move also created a massive void in the defensive backfield, and it became even bigger when fellow starter Jaylen Watson also headed to Los Angeles in free agency.
Delane should fit perfectly in the press man-to-man defense favored by Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, leaving Kristian Fulton and Nohl Williams to compete for the other starting cornerback spot in the secondary.
“I wanted to go to the Chiefs. I just wasn't expecting it,” Delane said. “I picked up the phone and I'm like, ‘Whoa, this is crazy.’ That's when just the emotion came to me. I was just so blessed to be on a team like this.”
The pick was the highest by Kansas City since 2013, when the Chiefs selected left tackle Eric Fisher first overall in coach Andy Reid's first season in charge. It's also the third time since Reid's arrival they've used a first-round pick on a cornerback — Marcus Peters was the 18th pick in the 2015 draft and McDuffie was the 21st choice four years ago.
Many had linked Kansas City to one of the top edge rushers in the first round, such as Rueben Bain Jr., which is another of their most pressing needs. The Chiefs also have been interested in wide receivers; Jordyn Tyson went two picks later to New Orleans.
“Everyone was saying the needs for my position and whatnot. The communication with the Chiefs wasn't too much. I really didn't expect it,” Delane said. “All my emotions came out when I seen the Kansas City number come across my phone. Just a blessing.”
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