PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Thursday night in Pittsburgh will be a night Mansoor Delane will remember for the rest of his life.
After the first few picks were announced in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs announced they were moving up from No. 9 to No. 6 in a trade with the Cleveland Browns.
With the No. 6 pick in hand, the Chiefs quickly sent in their selection — cornerback Mansoor Delane out of LSU.
“It’s a blessing. I just want to be part of a winning program,” Delane told KSHB 41’s McKenzie Nelson in Pittsburgh. “It’s not often winning programs are in the Top 10, so I think this is the best situation I could have been in. I’m excited.”
Following Thursday night’s first round, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke with the media about trading up to get Delane.
“We thought that was important,” Reid said. “We felt like we needed to go up to snag him.”
Delane said he remembers getting the call from the team.
“I’m not a crying type, but when I got the call, I felt something just hit me,” Delane said. “I gathered myself to actually listen to what they were saying. It was a great moment.”
After trading cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson during the offseason, Reid said the club had a focus heading into the draft to build back the defensive side of the ball.
Reid compared Delane’s skills to those of McDuffie when the club drafted McDuffie with the 21st overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
“I think he’ll come in and contribute,” Reid said. “Like all the guys, they have to earn their spot on the team. He’s a heck of a player and a heck of a kid.”
Reid told reporters that the club spoke with Delane a couple of times at the NFL Combine, and then most recently a couple of days ago via Zoom.
The next call came Thursday night.
“He was excited to hear from us,” Reid said.
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