Which school deserves the title of “DBU” is a hotly debated topic.
LSU, Alabama, and Ohio State are all contenders, with South Carolina as an honorable mention as well.
This year, LSU holds the crown thanks to cornerback Mansoor Delane. Delane had an absolutely stellar season after transferring to LSU from Virginia Tech. Delane doesn’t quite have the domineering physical profile of a Patrick Peterson, however he offers excellent athleticism to go with great skill in man, zone, and match techniques. He is pretty much universally regarded as the top cornerback in this year’s draft, and a prize in the Top 10.
The New York Giants have a pair of former first round picks competing for a starting cornerback job. However, could the acquisition of the 10th overall pick put Delane in play as a potential Giant?
Prospect: Mansoor Delane (4)Games Watched: vs. Ole Miss (2025), vs. South Carolina (2025), vs. Texas A&M (2025)
Mansoor Delane is an athletic, smart, versatile, tenacious, and highly competitive cornerback prospect.
Delane bases his game around quick feet and oily hips allowing him to be a very easy mover in space. He has good technique and footwork in man coverage, and is easily able to get and stay in phase with opposing receivers. He’s extremely sticky in coverage and skilled at using his hands to stay connected while staying just on the legal side of defensive pass interference. In addition to the feet and hips to stay with receivers through their breaks, Delane also has enough speed to carry most receivers vertically.
He features great awareness in zone coverage with good discipline in picking up and passing off receivers as they pass through his zone. He does a good job of reading quarterbacks’ eyes while also maintaining the structure of the defense and is seldom fooled by quarterbacks trying to manipulate him. He also has a good feel for when to disengage with receivers in his zone and close on underneath routes, as well as to avoid schemed traffic on the way. Delane is also a very competitive and physical cornerback. He never shies away from getting his hands dirty in run defense and is a willing tackler at the line of scrimmage and in space. Delane is tenacious in pursuit and willing to chase down ball carriers in order to get them on the ground. He also seems to genuinely enjoy the physical side of the game and openly celebrates opportunities to deliver big hits to opponents.
Delane is a well-rounded and very clean prospect with very few holes, or even issues, in his profile.
The biggest issue teams may have with him is in respect to his size. He’s both smaller and shorter than ideal at 5-foot 11 ⅞ inches, 187 pounds, and with 30-inch arms. Teams may also be concerned with his ability to intercept passes with 8 ⅞ inch hands, particularly in bad weather.
His slighter-than-average frame doesn’t really show up on tape at the collegiate level, however teams may have concerns about him matching up with big X receivers in the NFL, as well as taking on blocks or making tackles on the perimeter.
(Delane is the LSU cornerback wearing number 4 with a white sleeve on his left arm.)
Mansoor Delane projects as a starting cornerback with Pro Bowl upside at the NFL level.
He’s a sticky cover corner who can execute man, zone, or pattern matching schemes equally well and seldom allows receivers breathing room. And while he’s a bit smaller than NFL teams may prefer, he plays much bigger than he measures. Delane plays the game with a level of “nasty” that’s seldom seen in corners, but is also careful to never let his aggressiveness put him in a bad position.
He shouldn’t have to wait long to hear his name called on draft night, and it would be a surprise if he isn’t a Top 10 pick.