KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The pick is in, and the Chiefs have moved up to No. 6 in the first round in selecting LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.
The Chiefs acquired No. 6 from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for No. 9 overall, a third-round selection (No. 74 overall) and a fifth-round pick (No. 148 overall).
Delane is in many respects a carbon copy of Trent McDuffie, the cornerback he will replace in the Kansas City defense. He’s a tad bigger at almost 6-feet tall and 187 pounds, and a stride faster with a 4.38-second time in the 40-yard dash. Like McDuffie, Delane is undersized but uses speed and quickness to make upu for that deficiency. He was a three-year starter at Virginia Tech before transferring to LSU, where he posted 13 passes broken up last season along with two interceptions.
Who Will It Be Now?
Who will the Chiefs select with their two selections in Thursday night’s first round? Rumors abound around the Chiefs, with several players and scenarios among the speculation.
If the Chiefs stand pat at No. 9, Arizona State receiver Jordyn Tyson and Miami defensive end Reuben Bain are the two most frequent candidates, with LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane at sleeper option.
Could the Chiefs move up in the draft? Speculation abounds that the Chiefs are interested in a potential swap with Arizona for No. 3 to land linebacker Arvell Reese or edge rusher David Bailey. The cost, however, may prove too steep. If Kansas City does move up, a smaller jump to No. 6 or No. 7 for Bain or Tyson is much more likely.
What about moving back? If Bain and Tyson are off the board when the Chiefs are on the clock at No. 9, moving back is an option. Dallas, which holds the No. 12 and No. 20 selections, is a likely trade partner, but other options are possible. If the Chiefs move back, the pool of targets expands to offensive tackles such as Francis Mauignoa, cornerback Jermod McCoy, tight end Kenyon Sadiz, receiver Makai Lemon, and safety Dillon Thieneman, among others.
At No. 29, the same premium positions are likely: edge rusher, receiver, cornerback and offensive tackle. Names to watch for include receivers KC Concepcion (Texas A&M), Washington’s Denzel Boston, and Omar Cooper Jr. of Indiana; offensive tackles Caleb Lomu (Utah), Blake Miller (Clemson), and Max Iheanachor (Arizona State); cornerbacks Avieon Terrell (Clemson) and Colton Hood (Tennessee); and edge rushers Akheem Mesidor (Miami) and T.J. Parker (Clemson), and Zion Young (Missouri).
Draft Time
The stage is set at the Chiefs’ training complex at the Truman Sports Complex, where the club’s front office and coaching staff are set up for the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night.
The Chiefs hold two selections in the first round at No. 9 and No. 29. There’s been a change this year where teams have only 8 minutes to make a selection, down from 10 minutes in past drafts.
Last year, the Saints chose offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. at 8:08 p.m. central time, and Washington selected offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. with the No. 29 selection at 10:22 p.m.
Theoretically, that means the Chiefs could be on the clock as early as 7:50 p.m. for No. 9 and 9:26 p.m. at No. 29.
