RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Cornerback Mansoor Delane of the Kansas City Chiefs sits on the team bench during the fourth quarter of the first preseason game. He would get his first action the following week. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
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The Kansas City Chiefs obviously had lofty expectations for the cornerback they selected sixth overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
But Mansoor Delane, who the Chiefs traded up to select, was limited for much of training camp with a shoulder injury and missed the first preseason game.
“It’s unfortunate that he’s missed all the time,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “I’m anxious to get him out there and see what we’ve got.”
Well, Spagnuolo and the rest of the Chiefs staff got a chance to see Delane under the bright lights when the Chiefs played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday night.
He received the start and played the entire first quarter (or three defensive series) in the Week Two, preseason game.
When Delane was in man coverage, he primarily faced Kameron Johnson, a third-year wide receiver who had just four catches in 2025 but tied for a game-high 56 receiving yards on Saturday.
Though Delane was neither targeted nor recorded a tackle or pass defended, the biggest action — and perhaps his best play — may have occurred after the whistle. Hot-headed, rookie tight end Ted Hurst smacked him on the helmet, but Delane kept his cool and did not respond.
As a result Hurst drew an unnecessary roughness call, and that put the Buccaneers way behind the sticks at 3rd and 23, and they did not convert it for a first down.
On the negative side, Delane missed a tackle on wide receiver David Sills on a 2nd-and-10 play, though Chris Roland-Wallace stopped Sills for a negative gain anyway.
Perhaps Delane’s missed tackle was a result of rust.
He had been practicing at training camp but wore a yellow, no-contact jersey for the majority of the practices. It wasn’t until the final week in St. Joseph, Mo., that he was cleared to participate in all live-action sequences.
Delane prides himself on his physicality. During his lone season at LSU, he recorded 45 tackles (26 of them solo), showing he embraces contact and provides run support.
“I love being in the box,” he said. “I’m going to bring the fight to you … If I had the choice, I’d play middle linebacker.”
It’s the secondary, of course, where the Chiefs need help.
The Los Angeles Rams traded for former Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie and then signed him to a four-year, $124 million extension that includes $100 million guaranteed. Shortly thereafter, they also signed cornerback Jaylen Watson to three-year, $51 million deal with $34 million guaranteed.
“You’re losing the (Bryan) Cooks and you’re losing McDuffie and, of course, Watson,” Defensive backs coach Dave Merritt said. “So you’re trying to get the chemistry.”
In the 16-15 loss to the Buccaneers, the revamped defense looked good, shutting out the Buccaneers in the first half before Tampa Bay’s backups, who may not make the final roster, led to a second-half surge.
In the more significant first half, safety Jaden Hicks hit backup quarterback Jake Browning to force a fumble, and rookie R Mason Thomas added pressure on that play, which occurred on Tampa Bay’s final possession of the first half.
Defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah, who might end up starting in Week One due to Ashton Gillotte’s foot injury, had a sack with just more than two minutes left in the first quarter.
Anudike-Uzomah was the Chiefs’ first-round pick in 2023, and the Chiefs are hoping he finally fulfills that potential.
While Anudike-Uzomah was the final pick in that 2023 first round, Delane was taken in the top 10 in 2026 because of his footwork, speed, competitiveness and versatility to play inside, outside, press-man or zone.
“It just makes it easier on a defensive coordinator and on a scheme when you have one player that can just move around and play multiple roles,” Chiefs vice president of player personnel Ryne Nutt said. “Mansoor was the best cornerback in this class.”
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
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