Kansas City Chiefs General Manager, Brett Veach, indicated fireworks in the draft, and he traded three picks to land LSU Cornerback, Mansoor Delane. The fourth-rated player in the NFL Draft lands in Kansas City at a position of need.
With a plethora of needs, the Kansas City Chiefs made the first trade of the 2026 NFL Draft. In the deal, the Chiefs moved up from ninth to sixth and sent their first-round pick, a third-round (74) and fifth-round (148) pick to the Browns for the rights to LSU Cornerback, Mansoor Delane.
The First Team All-American was the top-rated cornerback and fills the gap left by the departures of Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams, forcing their hand to move up. The move does shore up the Chiefs’ secondary.
Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has to be ecstatic about the trade. He now has a weapon that fits the mold of McDuffie and L’Jarius Sneed. There’s no doubt Delane has the skills to be a shutdown corner and an All-Pro.
With the pass-happy AFC, and the fact that Kristen Fulton is in the final year of his deal and Nohl Williams was a third-round pick, one of those has to start opposite Delane. Kansas City also signed former Bills Cornerback, Kader Kohou, and former Buffalo Bills first-round pick, Kaiir Elam.
Chiefs Secondary coach, Dave Merritt, is one of the best in the business, and he has been gifted the premier cornerback in this draft. If you look at his stats last season, he gave up 13 catches on 35 targets, 165 passing yards allowed, only two receptions of 20+ yards, 2 INT, 7 Pass Break Ups, zero touchdowns, and zero penalties in 2025 at LSU.
He was also the first unanimous All-American at LSU since quarterback Joe Burrow.
For those upset about the draft capital the Chiefs gave up to the Browns, all picks are subjective. Kansas City did a great job identifying a need and signing a shutdown corner in the mold of Patrick Surtan II. The Chiefs could have selected Arizona State Wide Receiver, Jordyn Tyson, or edge rusher Reuben Bain.
Delane is fluid, physical, and ran a 4.38 at the NFL Combine, so you can see why the Chiefs were excited about taking him off the board. With this move, Kansas City checks off one of its needs.
Next up, the Chiefs will pick 29th in the first round, and they could focus on Edge, Tight End, or Wide Receiver. If Bain slides. Stay tuned to Chiefs Blitz for the latest draft news.
