The Kansas City Chiefs drafted Mansoor Delane to be a plug-and-play cornerback, and he excels at man coverage.
While the trade the Kansas City Chiefs made to get cornerback Mansoor Delane may have been questionable, there’s no doubt about Delane’s bona fides, especially with the folks from Pro Football Focus.
Daire Carragher recently did a pair of pieces that featured Delane. One had Delane at the top of the list for first rounders who could contribute immediately, which make sense given that the Chiefs moved up to get the LSU cornerback based on a series of losses in their secondary.
Nohl Williams is a promising option to start opposite Delane, as the third-round pick in 2025 played well down the stretch as the Chiefs played out the string to finish their 6-11 season. But Delane will get the toughest assignments, with the Chiefs expected to increase their use of man coverage this season, according to Carragher.
The increase is noteworthy for a number of reasons. PFF has had the Chiefs rated in the top ten in man coverage from 2020-24, but last year they fell to 19th based on the combination of a subpar pass rush and lack of talent in the secondary. Delane is a necessary upgrade, but he’ll have to adapt fast to life as a regular corner in the NFL.
Carragher also did another piece that rated Delane as the best of the top five corners in man coverage in which he did a deeper dive into the specifics. He excels at press coverage, according to the writer, and Delane can hold his ground in the process.
He had a long, upright stance that can make quarterbacks think twice before throwing in his direction, which is part of the reason why he was only targeted 14 times on 138 man coverage snaps last year.
Only six of those targets resulted in an actual reception, and they went for a total of just 16 yards, excluding yards after the catch. Delane also had a pick in those plays where he was targeted, and he added five forced incompletions.
Delane’s overall grade in man coverage was just as impressive. His PFF number was 89.1, with anything above 80 considered excellent, and his rating was second to only Leonard Moore, who is expected to be the top corner selected in next year’s draft.
The LSU product also represents a departure from the Chiefs’ typical process with players in the secondary. They usually develop later-round picks, but Delane will be a plug-and-play cornerback with the potential to be a star.