As the Kansas City Chiefs wrapped up their third and final day of mandatory minicamp, head coach Andy Reid offered up the chance for reporters to ask questions before the biggest break of the offseason, with several weeks before the team reconvenes in St. Joseph for training camp.
Reid offered clarity on several concerns, but perhaps the most pressing one related to minicamp was the status of first-round draft pick Mansoor Delane. The draft's top cornerback was the team's first top-10 pick since Patrick Mahomes was drafted nearly a decade ago, and general manager Brett Veach moved up to get him in a deal with the Cleveland Browns at No. 6 overall.
Delane sat out the first couple of days of minicamp, which was a letdown for fans anxious to see what he looked like in his first action alongside the team's veterans—even with the limitations on what's allowed before training camp. Instead, Delane was spotted without a helmet as his teammates worked through drills on the field.
Andy Reid spoke with reporters about a number of topics following mandatory minicamp, including the inactivity of their first-round pick.
When asked about Delane's lack of activity, Reid explained that it was health-related. "Yeah, Delane hurt his shoulder, and so we kept him out of practice for that reason." Reid followed that up with some good news, saying he "should be ready" for camp.
It's understandable for the Chiefs to be cautious with their biggest draft investment. Nothing is won or lost in early June, and sitting out of a couple of days of minicamp isn't going to make or break anything. However, it's not exactly ideal that Delane couldn't get some reps with the rest of his teammates within a secondary that's been completely overhauled from the top down.
The Chiefs traded away Trent McDuffie to the L.A. Rams earlier this spring, and Delane was the team's answer to fill that void. Given that Jaylen Watson also left in free agency, Steve Spagnuolo's defense is having to replace its top two corners to go along with its top safety this offseason. Aholi Gilman's arrival eases the pain of Bryan Cook's loss, but Delane is expected to take over as CB1 in a remade room.
Delane is not alone, however. Nohl Williams should make a leap forward in his second season, and Kristian Fulton is still around to compete outside. The Chiefs also brought back L'Jarius Sneed after two seasons away in Tennessee. Kaiir Elam and Kader Kohou were signed in free agency, and Jadon Canady was drafted in the fourth round. While there are questions, there are also a lot of interesting competitors.
Still, Delane is the new cornerstone here and his progress has been delayed. Hopefully, his shoulder heals up so that he can hit the ground running when training camp commences.
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