The Kansas City Chiefs have overhauled their secondary, shipping away their top cornerback and replacing him by making a big move up the draft board.
The moves come as the Chiefs look to rapidly rebuild following a dismal 2025 season, but the approach has drawn criticism from one NFL insider who called the moves “counterintuitive.”
Chiefs Face Criticism on Cornerback Moves
The Chiefs signaled a major change in direction when they traded cornerback Trent McDuffie in a deal with the Los Angeles Rams, getting some key draft assets in return. But the Chiefs then burned many of those assets to land a new cornerback, a move that was puzzling to Bleacher Report’s Brett Sobleski.
Sobleski gave the Chiefs a grade of “C+” for their offseason moves, writing that he didn’t understand the team’s approach to the secondary and the reason for landing Mansoor Delane in the first round.
“Conversely, the Chiefs’ approach at cornerback is counterintuitive,” Sobleski wrote. “The team traded a former first-team All-Pro in Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams for a first-round pick, then used its earlier first-round pick, plus a trade-up, to select the incoming class’ best corner, Mansoor Delane.”
Mansoor Delane Selection Left Analysts Puzzled
Others joined Sobleski in criticizing Delane’s selection. On draft night, analyst Nate Christensen at Arrowhead Pride gave the selection a grade of “D,” writing that he was puzzled why the Chiefs would trade McDuffie only to take a less-proven cornerback.
“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?” Christensen wrote. “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.”
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach explained that he was worried the New Orleans Saints would snag Delane before he could fall to Kansas City.
“If there’s one guy that’s more aggressive than me, it’s (Saints general manager) Mickey (Loomis),” Veach said in his press conference after the first round. “He and I’ve had that experience where we’re eyeing the same guy and when you try to call them when they’re on the pick, it just doesn’t work out.”
Veach said he knew the Saints were in need of a cornerback, meaning the Chiefs would need to trade up if they wanted to land their top target.
“When you looked at their roster, two years ago, they lost Paulson Adebo to the Giants, and then just this past spring they lost Alontae Taylor,” Veach said. “I mean, so they’re down two corners.”
Veach added that he had a top grade on Delane, calling him something of a steal with the No. 7 overall pick.
“We feel like he was the most complete corner. I’m sure he was the consensus No. 1 corner,” Veach said. “When you’re picking at No. 9, and you’re right there, and you can get the No. 1 corner in the draft, you go get him.”
Chiefs Under Fire for Puzzling Decision on Top Rookie Draft Pick