LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane was the star of LSU's defense this past season, and he is now poised for a fantastic NFL career. Delane is projected as a First Round draft pick by many media outlets, and a new mock draft from Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com has Delane continuing an impressive streak for LSU.
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Jeremiah has Delane slotted as the No. 5 overall pick by the New York Giants. If Delane is indeed drafted in the top-5, it would be the 8th time in the last 10 years that a former Tiger is selected as a top-5 pick in the NFL Draft.
First mock draft of the year from @MoveTheSticks just dropped 👀
— NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2026
Full first round mock: https://t.co/97LhqQII2P pic.twitter.com/HkCSbXwaRn
Mansoor Delane looking to continue LSU's impressive streak of top-5 picks
A total of seven former Tigers have been selected as top-5 picks since 2017:
- 2017: Leonard Fournette (4th overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars)
- 2019: Devin White (5th overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
- 2020: Joe Burrow (1st overall by the Cincinnati Bengals)
- 2021: Ja'Marr Chase (5th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals)
- 2022: Derek Stingley Jr. (3rd overall by the Houston Texans)
- 2024: Jayden Daniels (2nd overall by the Washington Commanders)
- 2025: Will Campbell (4th overall by the New England Patriots)
Delane put together a stand-out campaign in his lone season with the Tigers, emerging as a true lock-down corner. The Silver Spring, MD native allowed just 13 catches for 147 yards over the course of 11 games and 358 pass coverage snaps this season. He also totaled 45 tackles and led the SEC in passes defended (13) and passes broken up (11).
For his efforts, Delane became just the fourth defensive back in LSU history to be selected as an unanimous All-American. He was also a finalist for the Thorpe Award. After such an impressive season in the SEC, Delane is more than capable of making an instant impact on Sundays.
It seems likely that Delane goes in the First Round, and it will be interesting to see where he ends up. Most media outlets have him as a top-15 pick, and in the latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft from Saturday Blitz, Delane is projected to be selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the No. 12 overall pick. No matter where he goes, Delane has the skill set to become a starter as a rookie.