Although he landed with the four-time Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, Mansoor Delane couldn’t resist a dig at the Washington Commanders and general manager Adam Peters, after being the sixth player taken in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Peters may not care too much after the Commanders got their guy, linebacker Sonny Styles with the seventh pick on Thursday, April 23. Yet, outstanding former LSU cornerback Delane still couldn’t resist a dig about what might’ve been.
Delane didn’t get his move to Washington after the Chiefs made a trade with the Cleveland Browns that “leapfrogged” the Commanders. Something Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis described as a “ruthless move.”
Speaking to reporters, Delane said, “Mr. Peters, you’re a little too late, but they (Chiefs) made a great decision coming up and getting the dawg,” per DC News Now’s Alex Flum.
Says Chiefs made a good decision to move up over the Commanders to take him and that they are “getting a dog.”
SILVER SPRING NATIVE DELANE ALSO SHOUTS OUT KIDS BACK IN MARYLAND WITH A MOTIVATIONAL MESSAGE!
@DCNewsNowAs a Maryland native who began his college career at Virginia Tech, it makes sense Delane would’ve been intrigued by the prospect of playing for the Commanders. Particularly after Washington showed interest during the pre-draft process.
Losing out still leaves the Commanders seeking cornerback help when they next pick 71st overall in Round 3. Before then, there will be questions about whether Peters made a mistake not being more aggressive for Delane, or if the Commanders ultimately got the best player simply by staying put at seven.
Commanders Still Have Need for Mansoor Delane Type
They didn’t get their lockdown corner, but the Commanders still need help at the position. Even after adding Amik Robertson during free agency. His arrival is likely to prompt last year’s second-round pick to move, but the rest of the rotation remains unclear.
Head coach Dan Quinn tried to provide some clarity when he told reporters, including Tashan Reed, the Commanders “will likely line up Amik Robertson and Mike Sainristil inside and outside once OTAs get underway. Each player has started games at both nickelback and outside corner during their careers.”
It’s easy to see what’s missing here. Namely, a natural perimeter corner able to blanket wide receivers outside the numbers.
Delane, who “on 358 total coverage snaps last season, gave up just 13 catches, and on top of that, just seven first downs,” per Josh Norris of Underdog of NFL Draft, more than qualified.
And now he gets to bring those lockdown abilities to Chiefs 🔒
Finding another Delane during the next two days of this draft won’t be easy, but Peters has options. Including Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad or maybe even Ohio State’s Davison Igbinosun.
Perhaps Peters would be tempted to trade his way into Round 2 and target the likes of Clemson’s Avieon Terrell or even Tennessee’s Colton Hood. For now though, the Commanders and their GM can be glad they answered another pressing need with Styles.
Sonny Styles Answered Obvious Need
Peters stayed at seven and took Styles because “there was no chance to trade down; it was ‘crickets’ from other teams,” according to ESPN’s John Keim. The latter doesn’t believe the Commanders would have traded out anyway. This is a player they certainly coveted.”
Styles being “the guy” for the Commanders makes sense. It’s been too long since the franchise had a truly dynamic, three-down linebacker on the field.
Ageing 10-time Pro Bowler Bobby Wagner performed admirably for most of the last two seasons, but a new-look defense needed a refresh at a key spot. Styles, all 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds of him, gives first-year defensive coordinator Daronte Jones a physical tone-setter, as well as a cerebral on-field signal-caller.
The ex-Buckeyes standout’s football intelligence was explained to Bleacher Report’s James Palmer by an unnamed NFL D-coordinator. He told Palmer that Styles “is actually a brain player. He diagnosis plays. You talk to him, he sounds like a linebacker. He knows ball when you talk to him. He’s a football guy. He sounds like a guy who is going to take charge. The leadership capabilities are there. He can do a bunch of different things for you because football makes sense to him.”
“He is actually a brain player. He diagnosis plays. You talk to him, he sounds like a linebacker. He knows ball when you talk to him. He’s a
Styles’ mental aptitude may be more important than his athletic gifts in the sophisticated pressure schemes Jones learned from Brian Flores. Those elaborate X’s and O’s demand a quick-witted play-caller in the huddle.
This makes Styles more than a mere consolation prize for the Commanders after being beaten to Delane.
Mansoor Delane Calls Out Commanders GM After Draft Trade