KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs looked to shore up their defense in Thursday night’s NFL Draft.
The Chiefs moved up three spots going from ninth to sixth in a trade with the Browns to select LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. The Chiefs believe Delane can step in and fill the void left by Trent McDuffie, who was traded to Rams this offseason, and Jaylen Watson, who signed with the Rams in free agency. Delane had 45 tackles and two interceptions last year at LSU after spending his first three seasons at Virginia Tech. Delane was also a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award last year.
“I wanted to go to the Chiefs,” Delane said. “I just wasn’t expecting it. All my emotions came out when I saw that Kansas City number come across my phone.”
The Chiefs addressed another need on the defensive line when they used their second pick in the first round (No. 29) on Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods. With Chris Jones turning 32 in July, and having little depth at the position, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said addressing the defensive side of the ball was a top priority.
“I thought it was important that we addressed the defense,” Reid said. “That’s an important side of the ball, as much as I love the offense. We had some vacancies there that we had to take care of. That’s the way we felt going in.”
The Chiefs will likely address needs at wide receiver, offensive line and possibly edge rusher Friday and Saturday.
