Chiefs Saw Saints As Threat To Draft CB Mansoor Delane
The first trade of Thursday’s opening round saw the Chiefs swing a trade with the Browns to acquire pick No. 6. That allowed Kansas City to move up from No. 9 and take cornerback Mansoor Delane.
Especially with Jermod McCoy facing medical concerns, Delane was seen as the clear-cut top option at the cornerback position this year. That made him an enticing option for the Chiefs, a team looking to restock its secondary. But the two teams direcetly ahead of Kansas City were also candidates to take Delane.
When speaking to the media last night, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said (via ESPN’s Nate Taylor) he viewed the Saints in particular as a threat to select Delane at No. 8. Moving ahead of New Orleans – not to mention Washington at No. 7, a team which expectedly added on defense in the first round – thus became a major priority. Veach said he learned of the Browns’ willingness to move down from 6 during the league meeting, helping pave the way for yesterday’s swap.
The Chiefs had Delane ranked as a top-five player in the class, Bleacher Report’s James Palmer notes. He confirms Veach was concerned about Saints GM Mickey Loomis (no stranger to trading up in the draft) moving up to take the LSU cover man. New Orleans was named as a trade-up candidate during the build-up to the opening round, albeit with an edge rusher being seen as the target. In the end, Loomis and the Saints remained in place at No. 8 and took receiver Jordyn Tyson.
Delane will be counted on to handle a starting role right away for the Chiefs as part of their latest CB reset. Trent McDuffie was traded away earlier this offseason, while Jaylen Watson departed in free agency. Neither Rams addition on that front came entirely as a surprise, but it left Kansas City in need of reinforcements via the draft. Veach accomplished his goal of securing Delane early, and it will be interesting to see how he operates over the next two days on the trade front.
Chiefs Acquire No. 6 From Browns, Select CB Mansoor Delane
It has not taken long for the first trade of this year’s draft to take place. The Chiefs have moved up the board to acquire the sixth overall pick from the Browns.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes the swap includes Kansas City acquiring No. 6 for picks 9, 74 and 148. With the newly-acquired selection, the Chiefs have drafted LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.
This is a bit earlier than Delane was projected to go off the board. For a bit, it looked as though the Chiefs — linked to edge rushers for weeks — could somehow see Arvell Reese fall to No. 6, but the Giants did not let their EDGE surplus impede such a pick at No. 5. The Chiefs, then, nabbed the first CB prospect in this draft. Delane will take over a corner corps that lost Trent McDuffie (via trade) and Jaylen Watson (via free agency). Both are now Rams.
It might be wise for Delane to rent in Kansas City considering the extensive trend that has formed at this position. McDuffie and Watson are the latest one-contract Chiefs corners. They follow L’Jarius Sneed, Charvarius Ward, Kendall Fuller, Steven Nelson and Marcus Peters as CB starters the Chiefs did not pay. Even spot starter Joshua Williams defected (to the Titans) this offseason. New blood will arrive in the form of Delane, who will be expected to anchor this high-turnover position group.
As the Browns moved down and drafted Utah tackle Spencer Fano at No. 9, the Chiefs will land a hopeful impact corner. The team has now gone to the first-round CB well thrice during Andy Reid’s tenure, drafting Peters (2015), McDuffie (2022) and now Delane.
The three-year Virginia Tech product flashed considerable potential during his time in the ACC. A transfer to LSU produced the desired results and elevated his draft stock even further, though. Delane notched a pair of interceptions and 11 pass deflections in 2025. That production helped him earn first-team All-American honors and cement his status as one of the top prospects for this year’s draft. He will join a Chiefs CB cadre housing Chamarri Conner, Nohl Williams and (for now, at least) Kristian Fulton.
CB Jermod McCoy Could Slip In Draft Over Knee Concerns
Former Michigan cornerback Will Johnson was a potential first-round pick entering last year’s draft, but he slid to No. 47 (to the Cardinals) amid concerns over his knee. Tennessee corner Jermod McCoy may end up in a similar situation this year. While McCoy is arguably one of the two most talented players at his position, teams are wary over his knee.
McCoy missed all of last season as a result of a torn ACL, but the former second-team All-American showed no ill effects at Tennessee’s pro day on March 31. He ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash, logged a 38-inch vertical jump and registered a 10-foot, 7-inch broad jump. McCoy’s ACL is “fine,” according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, though he reports “the concern is about a bone plug that was used to repair a cartilage defect in his knee.” Doctors believe McCoy could require another surgery to replace the bone plug, which would include a long recovery.
With the first round two nights away, one team told Connor Hughes of SNY it has taken McCoy off its board. At least four clubs have red-flagged his knee, per Hughes. Although Albert Breer of SI.com regarded McCoy a potential top-10 pick a week ago, he now considers the 6-foot, 188-pounder a prime candidate to fall down the board. Based on what Breer has heard, teams are not worried about whether McCoy will be ready for next season. Rather, they are unsure about his longevity. That is the same reason Johnson lasted as long as he did in the 2025 draft. Johnson went on to play well during a 10-start rookie year, but he missed five games as a result of groin, back and hip injuries.
If McCoy is poised for a draft free fall, the other top corners in the class would stand to benefit. Thanks in part to McCoy’s health woes, LSU’s Mansoor Delane looks like the clear-cut favorite to become the first corner taken on Thursday. He has a good chance to go in the top 10, Breer reports. Colton Hood (also from Tennessee), Clemson’s Avieon Terrell and San Diego State’s Chris Johnson are a few other first-round hopefuls.
NFL Draft Trade Rumors: Cowboys, Browns, Titans
The first-round of the 2026 NFL Draft is only four days away, and rumors persist concerning a wild Day 1 of potential trades. The Cowboys have been a frequent subject in trade rumors, with many asserting that the team could be looking to trade up into the top 10.
The consensus belief is that, even without a trade, the Cowboys’ two first-round picks will be used on defense. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports believes new defensive coordinator Christian Parker will have some influence on the team’s draft plan, which should guarantee two new first-round defenders. Jones asserts that, if the team does trade up, the trade won’t include their second first-rounder, considering they won’t be picking again until pick No. 92. NFL insider Jason La Canfora posited that the trade up target for Dallas could be LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane or Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms that all eyes are on the Cowboys, who many expect to be eager to move up “due to obvious defensive needs.” So far, though, Dallas has not been “overly active” on the phones just yet. He reports the team is “open-minded about (a) potential move but also (is) comfortable staying put.”
Here are a few other draft rumors concerning teams looking to trade on Day 1 of the NFL draft:
- The Browns could be a target for Dallas if they do decide to move. Per La Canfora, Cleveland is widely expected to drop out of the top 10 picks. The team currently holds pick Nos. 6 and 24 in the first round of the draft, but even that may not be enough to fill the holes on their roster. The Browns are notorious for trading down, and if the sixth overall pick doesn’t present a strong chance at major improvement, they may move to add some additional draft capital.
- As Fowler mentioned above that the Cowboys had not been active on the phones, he did report a belief that the recent phone work around the league seems to indicate that the Titans could be looking to trade back from the fourth overall pick. A year removed from landing the No. 1 overall pick, Tennessee still has quite a few holes on the roster. Some have connected the team to Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love or Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles in recent predictions. Earlier on in process, it was rumored that a reunion between quarterback Cam Ward and college teammates right tackle Francis Mauigoa or defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. was in the cards. Love and Styles may make sense in their current slot, but moving back may allow Tennessee to target Mauigoa or Bain.
Commanders Host Caleb Downs; S Unlikely To Fall Out Of Top 10?
The clear-cut top safety in this draft class, Caleb Downs looks likely to become the first safety drafted in the top 10 since Jamal Adams in 2017. Adams is the only safety to go off the board in the top 10 over the past 15 drafts, but Downs could even beat the former All-Pro’s No. 6 draft slot.
The Giants have been closely connected to Downs at No. 5 for weeks, and a recent report indicated the Cowboys are a team to watch with a trade-up — potentially for a player the Giants are coveting. Downs, who visited Dallas during the pre-draft process, would fit the profile for a team desperate for defensive upgrades.
[RELATED: Cowboys Host Downs On “30” Visit]
Dallas would probably need to trade up for Downs, as ESPN’s Peter Schrager noted during an interview with DLLS Sports that the Ohio State safety falling to No. 12 overall should be considered highly unlikely. Schrager had previously mocked Downs to Dallas, but feedback within the league led the veteran reporter to back off that prediction. Downs’ floor may be the Bengals at No. 10, SI.com’s Albert Breer adds.
Adding Jalen Thompson and retaining Malik Hooker via pay cut, the Cowboys also signed P.J. Locke. They would be bucking NFL draft norms by trading up that far for a safety. Dallas holds the Nos. 12 and 20 overall picks, and moving into the top four would be quite costly. The Bengals have seen safety issues cause trouble ever since Jessie Bates‘ 2023 departure, but they did add Bryan Cook on a three-year, $40.25MM deal. Starter Jordan Battle is entering a contract year.
Cincinnati also may be a place to monitor with regards to a first-round cornerback investment, Breer adds, while also mentioning Rueben Bain Jr. as a potential option. The Bengals have both Daxton Hill and DJ Turner on expiring contracts at corner. The team has two first-round DEs — Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart — rostered and gave Boye Mafe a three-year, $60MM pact in free agency.
If the Giants pass on Downs at No. 5, Washington may lurk. The Commanders included Downs in a bulk “30” visit at a TopGolf complex, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Washington has proceeded this way in the recent past, as its 2024 QB summit reminds. The Commanders added Nick Cross on a two-year, $13MM deal last month and have Will Harris, Quan Martin and special-teamer Jeremy Reaves rostered at the position. Washington (at No. 7) is viewed as Jeremiyah Love‘s likely floor, but Downs would also be a logical choice. It does not appear likely the standout safety — one of four ex-Buckeyes who could be chosen in the top 10 — will need to wait long to hear his name called.
CB Mansoor Delane To Visit Commanders, Bengals, Ravens
As expected, Mansoor Delane remains one of the busiest prospects on the pre-draft circuit. The LSU corner has a trio of visits lined up for the near future.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports Delane will meet with the Commanders, Bengals and Ravens as his final top-30 visits. Tomorrow marks the deadline for such visits to take place around the league before teams finalize their draft board. Each of Washington, Cincinnati and Baltimore are set to select in the top half of the first round.
The Commanders own pick No. 7, although they are among the teams in the top 10 which are open to moving down the board. The Bengals’ top selection is 10th overall, while the Ravens own No. 14. Given Delane’s status as one of the consensus top two cornerback prospects in the 2026 class, he is unlikely to have a long wait before hearing his name called on Day 1.
Delane has met with several other teams near the top of the draft order in recent weeks. The Giants (who own pick No. 5) are looking into their CB options, and that process has included hosting Delane. The three-year Virginia Tech product flashed considerable potential during his time in the ACC. A transfer to LSU produced the desired results and elevated his draft stock even further, though.
Delane notched a pair of interceptions and 11 pass deflections in 2025. That production helped him earn first-team All-American honors and cement his status as one of the top prospects for this year’s draft. Jermod McCoy – who missed all of last season to an ACL tear – is viewed as a contender to be the first corner off the board based on his level of play in 2024. Even in that event, Delane will be expected to make an immediate impact at the NFL level for whichever team selects him.
The Commanders and Bengals are seen as being in need of upgrades in the secondary to a greater extent than the Ravens (who may need to trade up to land one of the top CBs). If any of those teams have the opportunity to select Delane, their consideration will be informed in large part by how his upcoming visits play out.
Giants Eyeing Trade-Down Move From No. 5; Other Teams Interested In Trading Back
Closely connected to Jeremiyah Love and Caleb Downs at No. 5 overall, the Giants are launching a new regime centered around John Harbaugh. Coming off a 3-14 season and not entering free agency as one of the most cap-rich teams, the Giants still have holes to fill.
New York also does not hold a third-round pick, trading it to the Texans in the deal that gave New York Jaxson Dart access last year. The Giants are (again) in prime position to snare one of the top talents in a draft class. This is certainly not atypical, as the Giants have walked out of recent drafts with Abdul Carter, Malik Nabers, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Andrew Thomas and Saquon Barkley. They also made two more top-10 picks in this span, selecting Daniel Jones and Evan Neal. This brigade of high-level prospects has not mattered much for Big Blue in the grand scheme.
Harbaugh represents the latest organizational pivot, as the team hopes an experienced leader can help put pieces together in a way the recent run of less seasoned coaches could not. The Giants could land yet another upper-crust prospect, but ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan notes a belief exists the team would prefer to trade down a few spots to accumulate more draft capital.
The Giants hold Nos. 5 and 37 but do not pick again until No. 105. While they have been tied to Love, Downs, Sonny Styles and Carnell Tate, Raanan adds cornerback is a position where the team is doing homework. LSU’s Mansoor Delane visited the Giants on Thursday, and they are digging into Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy as well. McCoy missed all of last season with an ACL tear but has rehabbed to the point he will be ready to go as a rookie. McCoy clocked a 4.38-second 40-yard dash time at the Volunteers’ pro day and is expected to be drafted by the middle of Round 1 at the latest.
Neither player profiles as one requiring an investment at No. 5, however, and the Giants could be angling to find teams interested in climbing up for a prospect in an effort to recoup a Day 2 pick or two. We are, of course, in prime smokescreen season. The Giants are obviously far from certain to move down and pass on one of this draft’s top prospects, and the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy adds Love and Downs (in that order) may be the top players in the team’s draft queue. We heard Giants-Love connections earlier, with Downs and Styles also drawing extensive attention from the team — as Harbaugh’s former club valued the safety position highly.
New York gave Paulson Adebo a three-year, $54MM deal in free agency last year and signed Greg Newsome to a one-year, $8MM pact last month. Newsome profiles as more of a stopgap than a Cordale Flott successor, and the Giants look to have missed on 2023 first-rounder Deonte Banks. Adebo being brought in before Harbaugh’s staff arrived also probably affects the team’s CB interest in this draft.
The Giants also might not find too many teams with appetites to surrender assets and move up. With no quarterback beyond Fernando Mendoza compelling teams to consider big-ticket trade-up offers and the likes of Love, Styles and Downs at non-premium positions, there might be a shortage of trade action early. The teams that follow the Raiders in the top five — the Jets, Cardinals, Titans and Giants — are believed to be interested in moving down to add assets, SI.com’s Albert Breer said in an interview with The Ringer’s Todd McShay, but trade partners are not plentiful right now.
Drafting Love, Styles or Downs this high do not bring the type of contractual advantage identifying a top-shelf pass rusher, wide receiver or tackle — positions usually populating this draft space — would provide. And trading assets to acquire one of these players compounds this issue, potentially creating a scenario in which we do not see much trade action early. Breer adds the trade movement in this year’s draft may begin around No. 10.
It is obviously not a lock the draft will play out this way, and veteran insider Jordan Schultz has been told this could be a trade-heavy draft. Schultz points to a potential “flurry” of activity in the first half of Round 1, citing sources informing him of modest depth in the later rounds. While it is true the present college landscape keeping players in school longer has depleted draft classes — with mid-20-somethings populating the later rounds and UDFA classes — others have spoken of this class’ depth at certain positions.
It will be interesting to hear if more trade chatter picks up over the next two weeks. That is generally the case, and even without a quarterback driving action (as Drake Maye did with the Giants and Vikings in 2024), trade buzz promises to pick up in the coming days.
NFL Announces 16 Prospects Attending NFL Draft
There will be 16 players waiting in the green room when the NFL Draft kicks off later this month. The NFL announced the following attendees for the first night of the draft (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport):
- LB David Bailey, Texas Tech
- DE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (Fla.)
- DB Mansoor Delane, LSU
- DB Caleb Downs, Ohio State
- DE Keldric Faulk, Auburn
- DB Colton Hood, Tennessee
- WR Makai Lemon, USC
- RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
- OL Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fla.)
- DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
- OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
- LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State
- QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
- LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
- WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
- WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
Of the 16 prospects invited to Day 1 of the draft, a whopping five of them are from one school: Ohio State. For comparison’s sake, the leader during last year’s draft was Alabama, who sent three prospects ot the green room. The Big Ten is the leading conference, with six prospects attending the first night of the draft.
Notably, expected first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza won’t be attending the draft, as the Indiana quarterback revealed that he’ll instead be celebrating with friends and family in Atlanta. That only leaves one signal-caller attending the event in Alabama’s Ty Simpson. There’s no guarantee that Simpson will even be selected on the first night of the draft, a situation we saw most recently when green-room attendee Jalen Milroe fell to the third round last year.
LSU CB Mansoor Delane Visiting Dolphins, Giants
Mansoor Delane is becoming an increasingly popular name in the workout circuit. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the LSU cornerback is visiting with the Dolphins tonight and tomorrow before meeting with the Giants on Wednesday and Thursday.
Delane has established himself as one of the (if not the) best cornerback prospect in this year’s draft. The defensive back had a breakout campaign at Virginia Tech in 2024, when he finished with four interceptions and seven passes defended. He was a popular name in the transfer portal ahead of the 2025 campaign, and he ultimately landed with LSU.
After being responsible for seven touchdowns allowed in 2024, Delane significantly improved on that number during his lone season with the Tigers. Pro Football Focus didn’t credit him with a single touchdown allowed in 2025, and the prospect finished his senior year with a pair of interceptions and 11 passes defended. Delane’s 4.38 40-yard dash time at his Pro Day cemented him as a premier cornerback prospect in this year’s draft, and he’ll likely be competing with Jermod McCoy to be the first player selected at the position.
After being connected to the Cowboys last month, Delane is now adding two more definitive suitors to his list. The Giants will have the first crack at the cornerback with their number-five selection, and with most pundits placing the LSU prospect in the top-10 of mock drafts, it wouldn’t be much of a reach. The team lost recent starter Cor’Dale Flott via free agency, but they brought in Greg Newsome to a grouping that includes holdovers like Paulson Adebo, Dru Phillips, and Deonte Banks. Delane would add a major influx of talent to that CBs room.
Plus, John Harbaugh has never been afraid to use a first-round pick on defensive backs, although he never picked this high during his Baltimore tenure. Still, during the coach’s 18 seasons with the Ravens, the organization used six first-round selections on cornerbacks or safeties.
There’s a chance Delane could fall to the Dolphins at No. 11, and the team may be doing their due diligence in case that scenario comes to fruition. Miami has put in some work to remake their cornerbacks corps this offseason. Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas remain unsigned, leaving Jason Marshall, JuJu Brents, and Storm Duck as the most notable returning players from last year’s squad.
Meanwhile, the front office has brought in the likes of Darrell Baker, Marco Wilson, and Alex Austin to soak up some of the snaps. Delane would instantly leap to the top of the depth chart in Miami, and in a clear rebuilding year, the team may ultimately opt for the best player available with the first of their two first-round selections.
Race For CB1 In 2026 NFL Draft Between Two Prospects
There appears to be a very clear duo atop the 2026 NFL Draft’s crop of cornerback prospects. What’s unclear at the moment is which one of the two defenders is CB1 in the class. Complicating the matter is the fact that one of them didn’t play at all in 2025.
Jermod McCoy missed his entire junior year at Tennessee with a torn ACL. It was a much-anticipated season after McCoy broke out as a second-team All-American in his first year of SEC play. Lost in the sea of high school talent in Texas, McCoy was a three-star recruit coming out of Whitehouse HS. Clearly a bright student, McCoy held a couple Ivy League offers from Columbia and Penn, but he chose to commit to the only Power 5 school to offer him a scholarship, departing Texas for Oregon State.
As a true freshman, McCoy came off the bench for his first few games as a Beaver. By the midpoint of the season, though, he earned his first start and made the most of that opportunity with his first collegiate interception. Over the rest of the season, McCoy showed several bright spots of his game while striving to keep his spot on the first-team defense. Still, some rough road outings at Arizona and Oregon left plenty of room for improvement for the young defender.
He showed enough success, though, that when he entered his name in the transfer portal at the end of the year, the offers came rolling in, this time with far more Power conference schools throwing their hats in the ring. Over offers from the likes of Auburn, Oregon, and Texas A&M, McCoy opted to visit Tennessee and committed a week later. The true sophomore earned a full-time starting role by the start of the season and put forth a phenomenal 2024 season. McCoy locked down his side of the field for the Volunteers, notching four interceptions and six passes defensed.
With a good frame, McCoy’s quick feet and body control have given him the ability to stick close to his assignments, and strong ball skills allow him to compliment great coverage with pass breakups and interceptions. He had some periodic inconsistency at times, though, which one might have hoped to see improvement on had he gotten to play this year. He also isn’t a great tackler, often throwing his weight around down low in a way the NFL tends to look down upon as of late. His recent injury and long recovery time are certain to throw up some red flags in some front offices, but the fact that he still may be the top cornerback selected in the draft speaks volumes about his assets as perhaps the best man-coverage corner in the class.
McCoy’s competition for that spot is LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. Like McCoy, Delane wasn’t a top recruit, coming into college as a three-star prospect out of Archbishop Spalding HS (MD). Graduating a year before McCoy, Delane committed to Virginia Tech after taking official visits to Illinois, Minnesota, and Maryland. He didn’t make his first collegiate appearance until Week 5 of his freshman season, and after stepping up with a big performance against the Hurricanes in only his third game, Delane was named a starter for the rest of the season.
Delane started every game for the next two years breaking out in 2024 with four interceptions and four passes defensed. For as many big plays as he made, though, he gave up quite a few, as well — Pro Football Focus (subscription required) assigns him responsibility for seven touchdowns that season. Still, when he entered the transfer portal, he became a hot target, committing five days later to the Tigers. His struggle giving up big plays disappeared in Baton Rouge. Per PFF, Delane didn’t give up a single touchdown while recording two picks and seven passes defensed. PFF graded Delane as the third-best cornerback in the NCAA for 2025, and he earned unanimous All-American honors.
Delane isn’t quite as good as McCoy in isolated man-coverage, though he’s still quite good. He’s a much more well-rounded, versatile defensive back, though. Delane works with elite instincts, and even though he doesn’t have the best hands, he plays the ball more than the receiver and disrupts a ton of passes as a result. His hips are quick, but he helps himself in coverage by making it difficult for receivers to get behind him. Like with some other defensive prospects in this draft, there are some concerns around Delane’s arm length, but his level of effort in coverage and when tackling tends to overcome any physical shortcomings.
In most draft pundits’ rankings, Delane is slotting in ahead of McCoy as CB1 at the moment. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network slots Delane in as CB1 and No. 8 overall prospect and CB2 McCoy at No. 15. Over at ESPN, Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates have McCoy at CB1 and Delane at CB2, while Matt Miller and Jordan Reid have it the other way around. Yates reports that scouts have been “getting positive reviews about McCoy’s recovery,” and that may be boosting his draft stock up towards Delane’s here, down the stretch. Regardless, both cornerbacks are expected to hear their names called in the the first half of Day 1’s selections. All that remains to be seen is which name gets called first and which teams claim them.