Chiefs Trade Up to Select 22-Year-Old Former LSU Defensive Back with Sixth Pick in 2026 NFL Draft
The first stunner of the 2026 NFL Draft has come. The Kansas City Chiefs have made a trade with the Cleveland Browns, giving up the ninth overall pick, a third-rounder, and a fifth-rounder to select LSU defensive back Mansoor Delane. The move fills a desperate need for Kansas City, as they traded Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams last month and lost Jaylen Watson and Bryan Cook in free agency. With talent like his, general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid likely believe he can have an immediate impact on this team.
Given that the Chiefs have rarely picked this early in the draft with their recent success, this move may come as a surprise to many, but the team has a history of trading up within the first round. This is the third time in the past five drafts that Kansas City has traded up. In 2024, the Chiefs traded up from the 32nd pick to the 28th pick with Buffalo to select wide receiver Xavier Worthy. In 2022, they picked McDuffie with the 21st pick after a trade with New England to move up from the 28th pick. The trade for McDuffie worked out extraordinarily well, as he was a First-team All-Pro in 2023 and a Second-team All-Pro in 2024. His play helped lift the Chiefs to back-to-back championships in Super Bowl LVII and LVIII. Worthy, on the other hand, has not had as strong a start to his career, but anyone who holds the record for the fastest 40-yard dash time has plenty of talent to build on.
Back to Delane, he spent his first three seasons in college playing for the Virginia Tech Hokies, where he was Third-team All-ACC in 2024. He transferred to LSU for his senior season in 2025, where he had a stellar year, earning his First-team All-SEC and Unanimous All-American honors. He was known for excellent press coverage abilities, going against some of the most talented players in the nation, and he has more than enough speed to keep up with them, running a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at LSU’s pro day. He is the caliber of player who can be a day one starter, and the sky is the limit for his growth.
Delane joins a Chiefs secondary that will have a new look in 2026, meaning there are a lot of unknowns going into the season. Coming off a disappointing year in 2025, the team will certainly look to reload this upcoming year. There are still many picks left to come, but the Chiefs have taken a big swing to address one of their biggest needs. Only time will tell what happens, but there will undoubtedly be a lot of eyes on Kansas City.
