Grading the Chiefs’ pick of Mansoor Delane at No. 9 in the NFL Draft

Caleb James

Delane is a talented player, and without question, the most talented corner in the draft, but this pick feels empty for multiple reasons. The Chiefs moved up three spots, giving up two additional picks, but all this comes after the team elected to trade All-Pro corner Trent McDuffie this offseason. At the time, it appeared this could signify a shift in focus from an aggressive secondary to an all-out approach to rebuild the defensive line, but this was not the case. Delane should be in for a long, productive career, but the Chiefs did not need to move up to take him. The decision to make the pick is also frustrating, considering the team has badly needed an injection of talent at wide receiver as well as edge rusher, and this pick was made with Jordyn Tyson and Ruben Bain still on the board. **Grade:** C-

Nate Christensen

The Chiefs spent months telling us that the ninth overall pick was a rare opportunity to select a premium position they don’t get to take in the first round. Instead, they traded additional draft capital to move up for a player at the position they’ve consistently decided not to pay a second contract. On top of that, I feel McDuffie was a better prospect than Mansoor Delane. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to just pay McDuffie, who you already knew was good, and take a player at a different position and solve a different need? Did the Chiefs need salary cap space that badly? McDuffie has made two All-Pro teams. Delane would not only have to exceed that, but he would also need to be even better than that to justify the sixth-overall pick. Any of , , or Reuben Bain would’ve been better picks for me. Delane is a good player, but this feels like the wrong position to address given the team’s long-term needs. I don’t like this **Grade:** D