Mansoor Delane

Summary

Mansoor Delane (22 years old) is a lockdown cornerback who began his college career at Virginia Tech (2022–2024) before transferring to LSU for the 2025 season. In 2025 with the Tigers, Delane started every game, recorded 45 total tackles with 2 interceptions and 11 passes defended, earning consensus First-Team All-SEC honors and unanimous All-America recognition, and he was also a Thorpe Award finalist as one of the nation’s best defensive backs. Delane also has not allowed multiple receptions to any player he covered in 2025. Off the field, he is regarded as a high-character leader with professionalism and strong work ethic in the community, classroom, and locker room, and there are no known significant off-field incidents attached to his name. Though Delane has played through a core muscle injury during the 2025 season, he has otherwise avoided any major injuries that caused extended absences, underscoring his toughness and reliability in LSU’s secondary

Strengths

• Jam, No Toast: Plays with confidence at the line of scrimmage, disrupting timing with physical jams. Uses long arms effectively to contest throws and shrink passing windows and displays the burst to close ground if initially beaten at the line.

• See Ball: Tracks the football well and positions himself to create pass breakups and turnovers. Shows feel for route stems and anticipates breaks in off coverage.

• Hips Don’t Lie: Opens and runs smoothly, allowing him to stay connected on vertical routes. Comfortable playing both press and off coverage, with flexibility to rotate in zone-heavy looks.

• Run Contributor: Willing to step up and tackle on the perimeter, setting a firm edge against outside runs.

Weaknesses

• Linear Speed: Can be challenged by elite vertical threats who stack him early in the route.

• Oven Mitts: Physical style sometimes leads to contact that risks penalties and he can get grabby if he loses his leverage early in stems.

• C.O.D.: Quick double moves can cause him to overcommit or lose balance and challenge his change of direction. At times locks onto the quarterback and gives space behind him when in zone coverage.

• It’s a Wrap: Will occasionally leave his feet or rely on shoulder contact rather than full wrap-up form.

Outlook

Delane is a technically polished, instinctive cover man with strong pattern recognition, length and the competitive toughness to lock down receivers in both press and off-man situations, making him the kind of defender who can be trusted in all three phases of coverage. He projects best in multiple-look NFL defenses that blend man, match, and zone concepts, particularly schemes that allow corners to stay aggressive in press and tackle well in support rather than being limited to shadow roles. Consensus draft boards have him as a CB1 with a strong chance to come off the board in the first fifteen pick given his coverage versatility and starting-caliber traits.

Pro Comparison: Derek Stingley Jr.

Team Fits: NYJ, TEN, WAS, NO, MIA