Chiefs Trade Up to Draft Mansoor Delane at No. 6, Adding Versatile Cornerback

The Kansas City Chiefs did not treat Mansoor Delane like a routine first-round addition. They traded up to No. 6 overall to draft the LSU cornerback Thursday night in Pittsburgh, a move that underscored how urgently they wanted help in a secondary reshaped by the offseason trade of All-Pro corner Trent McDuffie. Early comments from coach Andy Reid and Delane point to the same appeal: Kansas City sees a defensive back who can compete right away and move between outside corner and the slot.

To get Delane, the Chiefs moved up from No. 9 and sent Cleveland picks Nos. 9, 74 and 148. Paying that price to climb only three spots showed how strongly Kansas City valued Delane in a draft where cornerback had become a clear priority.

That need had been obvious since March, when the Chiefs traded McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams. Replacing a player of McDuffie’s caliber is not about finding one-for-one production overnight, but Kansas City’s move suggested it viewed Delane as one of the few prospects with the coverage ability and flexibility to help stabilize the position group quickly.

Reid said as much after the pick.

“We ended up trading up for him. … I think he'll come in and contribute. Like all the guys, they've got to earn their spot on team and so on, but he'll definitely have an opportunity to do that. He's a heck of player, heck of a kid. … Tremendous amount of energy, great ball skills, great feet, good size and good speed on top of all that,” Reid said, via NFL.com.

Delane arrives with a strong final-season résumé. He spent three years at Virginia Tech before transferring to LSU for the 2025 season, then started 11 games for the Tigers and posted 45 tackles, 13 passes defended and two interceptions. LSU said Delane was a unanimous All-American, first-team All-SEC selection and Jim Thorpe Award finalist, and that he did not allow a touchdown catch all season. Pre-draft reporting also said he ran a reported 4.35-second 40-yard dash at LSU’s pro day in March.

That production matched the evaluators’ view of him as one of the class’s best man-coverage corners. Pro Football Focus gave Delane an 89.1 man-coverage grade in 2025, and the Chiefs’ own post-draft profile highlighted his comfort playing inside at nickel, or slot corner, as well as outside. Delane told the Chiefs’ Spanish-language site that he feels very comfortable playing inside and enjoys that role. That versatility helps explain why Kansas City pushed so hard to get him: after creating a major opening in the secondary, the Chiefs drafted a cornerback they believe can do more than fill one spot.