With the football world tuned into the 2026 NFL Draft, there were plenty of instant reactions and judgment of the Kansas City Chiefs’ first-round picks: Cornerback Mansoor Delane and defensive tackle Peter Woods.
Let’s take a look at some of the NFL media’s grades on the Chiefs’ duo of first-round selections.
Draft picks:Round 1 (No. 6): CB Mansoor Delane, LSURound 1 (No. 29): DT Peter Woods, Clemson
Analysis:Kansas City traded third- and fifth-round picks to Cleveland to land the top cover corner in Delane. His ability to shut down receivers on the outside made him a top-10 value. In most cases, I’d say the Chiefs should have let the draft come to them, but I agree with the decision in this case.
Instead of extending cornerback Trent McDuffie, the Chiefs traded him to the Rams for four draft picks, including the 29th overall selection in this draft. I think they received good value for McDuffie and the pick of Delane helps make up for the loss.
The Chiefs took Woods with the 29th pick. They had a need at defensive tackle, and he could be an excellent complement to Chris Jones. However, they passed on an excellent receiver in Omar Cooper Jr. despite questions about their depth chart at that position.
6. Kansas City Chiefs (from CLE): Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
The Chiefs do not plan to be drafting this high again any time soon. As a result, Kansas City traded up to No. 6 (sending Nos. 9, 74 and 148 to Cleveland) and replaced Trent McDuffie with the best — and safest — cornerback on the board. The most comfortable man-coverage defender in the draft, Delane is very difficult to stack and fool in coverage and should be a factor in Kansas City quickly.
This is a great pick. Delane is a high-floor player who oozes confidence and will have no problems entering a serious, championship-level operation. Love the aggressiveness the Chiefs showed here.
29. Kansas City Chiefs (from LAR): Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
Kansas City needed to overhaul its defense, and adding Woods is a smart, safe move. Chris Jones won’t be around forever, so getting a physical, powerful interior defender to work alongside him was critical. The Chiefs now have fortified the middle of their defensive line and have a quality rotation.
Woods (6-2 1/2, 298) was a mainstay on the Clemson defensive line and earned first-team All-ACC honors. He finished last season with 30 tackles (3.5 for loss) and two sacks, and he also scored two touchdowns as a short-yardage running back.
6. Kansas City Chiefs (via trade with Cleveland Browns): Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
The Chiefs are in need of a cornerback, but this feels a little rich for Delane. He’s a talented player who will fit right in on a weak Chiefs secondary, but this is a bit surprising with Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs still on the board. Not a bad pick, but he possibly could’ve been had at the ninth overall pick without trading up. Regardless, they just had to do something at cornerback. Walking into the season without a major upgrade wasn’t an option.
This could be a huge boom pick for the Chiefs. Woods was projected to be one of the first picks in the draft prior to the season, but (like the rest of Clemson’s team) his production wasn’t where it should be. He’s got incredible, tangible upside to be a player who develops for the long haul next to Chris Jones.
Delane is the safest pick at corner in this draft class. If you can do what he did in the SEC last season, you can produce in the NFL. It’s more the desperation of having to give up a third-rounder to do so that bumps this down. It’s a position that historically teams have been able to find later in the draft as the Chiefs themselves know well.
With Chris Jones turning 32 this offseason, the Chiefs nab his successor in Peter Woods. He’s a quintessential 3-technique with an incredible blend of explosiveness and play strength. He falls to this point in the draft because of lackluster tape this past fall compared to 2024, but now he gets to learn from the best in the business on how to rush the passer.
6. Kansas City Chiefs (from Cleveland Browns): Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU – Grade: B-
This wasn’t the seismic trade that many were expecting, but it’s still meaningful. Kansas City moved up ahead of Washington to ensure it would land Delane, this class’ unquestioned top cover man. In doing so, Brett Veach reloads his secondary after offloading Trent McDuffie. Despite the franchise’s habit of developing younger corners, Kansas City now has a bit more confidence in its ability to answer for Justin Herbert and Bo Nix, whose passing attacks could take a step forward next year. But the Chiefs missed a prime opportunity to address their pass rush, and any coverage benefits might be moot if the team can’t generate sufficient pressure.
29. Chiefs (from Rams): Peter Woods, DT, Clemson – Grade: C