Mansoor Delane — 2026 NFL Mock Draft Roundup 3.0

CB1 in this year's draft, Delane would be a perfect fit for the Chiefs, who traded two-time All-Pro Trent McDuffie and saw fellow starting cornerback Jaylen Watson walk in free agency.

Cincinnati has addressed the defense in free agency, but a hole at cornerback opposite of DJ Turner remains unanswered. Delane has strong man-coverage technique and ball skills to go along with good size at 6 feet, 187 pounds. He finished up his college career with a season at LSU after three years at Virginia Tech.

Delane's season in Baton Rouge solidified his first-round status, as opposing QBs completed only 27.7% of their passes when he was the targeted defender (the third-lowest rate in the FBS). Cincinnati allowed a completion percentage of 65.2% last season (19th in the league).

He is a good man cover player who would fit a major need in the Dolphins corner room. They have a lot of bodies there, but is there a true quality starter in the group?

In just about any other year, the Cowboys would not pass on Love in this situation. They were faced with something similar in 2020 when edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson would have filled a bigger need, but wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was higher on their board. They made the right decision. But the Cowboys need defensive help even more this year, so it's highly unlikely they'd go with Love here. Delane fits a major area of need, giving Dallas a Day 1 starting cornerback to pair with DaRon Bland, Shavon Revel and recently signed Cobie Durant. Had Delane been gone, this would've been an ideal trade-back situation. — Jon Machota

It's tempting to add another pass catcher in New Orleans. Instead, the Saints tab Delane to drive on over from Baton Rouge. The Saints' defense was better than expected last season under Brandon Staley. They could look to add to their line, but Delane is a smart player who fits into Staley's zone-heavy scheme and creative passing down looks. He would be an upgrade for the cornerback room and give the Saints a defender who would be comfortable right away in the scheme and could impact the game more than what they currently have on the roster.

With a huge need at the position following the departure of Alontae Taylor, the Saints could solve it by bringing in a guy who's right up the road. Almost certainly the premier corner available this year, the 6-foot, 187-pound All-America has lockdown ability and might even be able to eat up some of Taylor's snaps in the slot — though Delane was rarely used there at Virginia Tech and LSU.

There are still a lot of holes to fill on Miami's roster. The Dolphins solve a corner spot with Delane, one of the draft's most consistent players on tape.

Even with Boye Mafe in the fold, the edge rush leaves a lot to be desired. But with Bain off the board, there isn't a pass rusher whose value fits here. The Bengals would have to reach for Missouri's Zion Young, Auburn's Keldric Faulk or Miami's Akheem Mesidor, and it's just too early for any of those guys. But Cincinnati was also one of four teams to give up more than 7 yards per opponent dropback in 2025, and it would love to have a true No. 1 corner. Delane can make plays on the ball (11 pass breakups, two interceptions last season) in either man or zone coverage.

They have a glaring need at cornerback following the trade of Trent McDuffie and losing Jaylen Watson in free agency. This is too obvious of a selection. I think Delane is the top corner in the draft as well.