The Kansas City Chiefs were determined to draft cornerback Mansoor Delane and decided not to leave the outcome to luck. But it turns out, the team had options if the trade-up had failed.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer has revealed the Kansas City Chiefs had a clear plan to trade up to land Delane. If that door never opened, the fallback was already set: a straight call between Jordyn Tyson and Caleb Downs.

“As the draft drew closer, and the Chiefs gamed it out, they figured if they stayed at No. 9, and they lost out Delane, they’d wind up with Ohio State safety Caleb Downs or Arizona State receiver Jordyn Tyson," Breer reported.

Eventually, the Dallas Cowboys picked Caleb Downs at 11th. Tyson went earlier, at 8th overall, as the New Orleans Saints drafted him.

"Then, they’d probably have to move up to land San Diego State CB Chris Johnson—and give up a third- or fourth-rounder to do it. So, the logic followed, why not just give up the third-rounder and get the guy they liked more?” Albert Breer reported on April 28.

Fearing that another team would take him first, the Chiefs' front office made a bold trade with the Cleveland Browns.

They moved up from the 9th pick to the 6th pick, giving up two of their later draft picks (the 74th and 148th overall).

Eventually, the front office decided it made more sense to spend that extra draft capital immediately to get their top target. 

Why Were The Chiefs Keen To Draft Delane?

The Kansas City Chiefs recently made a big move to fix their defense. Two of their key players, Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, left the team to join the Rams.

This left a huge hole in the secondary, so the Chiefs needed to find a new star player fast. 

Many experts had already predicted that the Chiefs would draft Mansoor Delane, a talented cornerback from LSU. Following which, the team's general manager, Brett Veach, gave his two cents.

“I’ve always said this: You do all this work, and you put all this time into this,” Veach said Thursday. “But if you want a guy, you’ve got to go find a way to get him.” 

Delane finished his time in college with 191 total tackles and 8 interceptions, proving he can both stop the run and take the ball away.

His sole LSU season in 2025 also saw him earn All-American honors for his 26 solo tackles and two interceptions.

With Delane now on the team, the defense looks much stronger. He will join a group of defensive backs that includes Kristian Fulton and Kaiir Elam.

It will be exciting to see how the team’s defensive coach, Steve Spagnuolo, uses his new star.

The Chiefs clearly had a plan: to get the best player available, and they were willing to spend extra to make sure they got him. Now, the team has a fresh look and high hopes for the upcoming season. 

Read more at the Kansas City Chiefs Community!

Written by

Aaindri Thakuri

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote