2026 NFL Scouting Report: Mansoor Delane

Prospect Summary:

During the Frank Beamer era, Virginia Tech was a factory for NFL cornerback talent. Year after year, the Hokies had good corners for the next level, but that has fallen off in the years since Beamer retired. However, Delane went about changing that. He had eight breakups with an interception in 2022 as a freshman. In 2023, he had one interception, one pass batted, and 54 tackles. As a junior, Delane had his best season with 54 tackles with four interceptions, seven passes broken up, and two forced fumbles. He could have been an early-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but Delane decided to stay in school and transferred to LSU. It proved to be a wise decision as Delane had a very good season for the Tigers. He totaled 45 tackles with two interceptions and 11 passes broken up in 2025.

With his skill set, Delane definitely has the physical tools to play in the NFL. Delane has good size, strength, and length to match up against receivers. Along with having a pro frame, Delane can run with quality speed to stay with quick wideouts. Delane has a burst to close and is fast enough to carry verticals downfield. Between his speed, height, and length, Delane has nice recoverability to make up ground if he gives up some separation. With big cornerbacks, a natural issue is stiffness, and that can be seen with Delane. He has some stiffness in off-man and zone, but it is not a serious liability that will prevent him from being a good player.

Delane has good ball skills and shows a nice knack for timing his breakups. If the ball is not well located, Delane shows a nice ability to adjust, and that leads to him being dangerous for interceptions. He is a physical corner and competes hard. He is adept at winning 50-50 passes and matching up against bit outside receivers.

For the NFL, Delane needs to improve on not grabbing. He has a tendency to grab receivers downfield when they go to make their break. He will also grab and push too much downfield when the ball is in the air. He gets away with it sometimes in college, but as a pro, he could be prone to pass interference penalties until he cleans that up.

Delane looks like he is a future pro starter and could be a No. 1 corner for his NFL team. He looks like a safe pick to be at least be a solid player and a good contributor, even if he is never among the very top cornerbacks in the NFL. In the 2026 NFL Draft, Delane looks like a top-16 pick.