Chiefs Rookie Cornerback Has a Harsh Critic In His Corner

The Kansas City Chiefs have a budding star in rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo likes what he’s seen so far. Jesse Newell of The Athletic described Spagnuolo as Delane’s harshest critic, but the veteran coordinator also says that the cornerback is on an “upward progression.” 

Spagnuolo is also known for being hard on cornerbacks, and that’s part of what’s helped him develop a steady stream of good ones. He mentioned some areas where Delane can improve, but the player and coach have an understanding of how this works in the context of their relationship. 

Delane loves it, and he told Newell that “it’s good coaching.” He added that coaches like Spagnuolo are only hard on their best players, so he understands the perspective of his defensive coordinator. 

Spagnuolo’s praise has focused on Delane’s perimeter tackling, which ha been noticeably excellent. Delane is a willing tackler who hasn’t let an early shoulder injury stand in the way of his ability to be physical, and Spagnuolo labeled the early play of Delane and fellow corner Nohl Williams as a “pleasant surprise” for the defense. 

But the coordinator also picked out a running play against the Las Vegas Raiders where Delane lost the edge and allowed a back to get outside, and those are the plays Spagnuolo said he tends to remember. 

The big-picture perspective is more positive, though. According to Newell, Delane’s performance ranks among the NFL’s top defensive rookies. Pro Football Focus has him graded as the second-best defensive rookie out of 48 players with at least 100 snaps, and Delane’s coverage grade of 85.0 ranks first among all qualified rookies.

There are other stats that confirm Delane’s ability to make impact plays, and the eye test verifies this as well. But Spagnuolo also criticized Delane for not sticking to his assignments in Kansas City’s 30-27 win over the Raiders, and the cornerback’s tendency to undercut routes occasionally gets him in trouble in practice. 

Spagnuolo says it’s important to do that when the coverage dictates it, with Newell adding that it’s part of the process of living with rookie mistakes that all coaches go through when they insert players into the lineup in Week 1. 

Delane takes this kind of criticim in stride, but he also takes it seriously. He’s embraced Spagnuolo’s tendency to focus on the details, and he noted that it will help make him the great player that he wants to be.