The Kansas City Chiefs already had most of their 2026 draft class under contract in the weeks after the main event, but they saved the biggest fish for last. With one day before the team's mandatory minicamp was set to begin, K.C. has found a way to fit both of its first-round picks under contract.
Former LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane has officially signed his rookie deal, which means that the Chiefs can now rely on having a new lockdown pass defender in the secondary for the next four years and beyond. Earlier on Monday, former Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods also signed his first NFL contract.
Delane arrived at LSU as one of the most intriguing transfers before the '25 campaign, having spent three seasons at Virginia Tech before making the jump to the SEC. Delane's gamble paid off in a big way, as he finished his lone season in Baton Rouge with 45 tackles, 11 pass deflections, and 2 interceptions.
Shortly before mandatory minicamp begins, the Chiefs have officially signed both of their first-round picks in 2026.
Not only was Delane's deflection total second in conference play, but he allowed a meager sub-40 percent completion rate when targeted with zero touchdowns allowed in 11 games. He finished the season as a unanimous All-American and first-team All-SEC selection with a draft stock that soared straight to the top of the cornerback rankings.
Delane's arrival is the Chiefs' biggest answer to a problem they created when allowing Jaylen Watson to sign with the Los Angeles Rams shortly after trading star corner Trent McDuffie to the same team. With the departures of so many members of the famed 2022 draft class, the Chiefs needed a major influx of talent in the defensive backfield, which is why they dealt up to No. 6 overall (in a trade with the Cleveland Browns) to draft Delane in the first round.
Per Spotrac, Delane will earn $41.9 million over the next four years from the Chiefs. He'll receive a signing bonus of just under $27M and will incur a cap hit of $10.5M for the coming season.
Delane now slots in atop the cornerback depth chart that also includes the promise of second-year corner Nohl Williams, veteran Kristian Fulton, free-agent signing Kader Kohou, and fellow rookie Jadon Canady, among others.
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