The Dallas Cowboys are widely expected to revamp their secondary this offseason, and it needs it. Trevon Diggs was released prior to Week 18, and Daron Bland has undergone another major surgery on his foot, casting doubt about his status this offseason. Shavon Revel and Caelen Carson both struggled in 2025, and neither are locks to be a starter in 2026.
The good news for Dallas is that the 2026 NFL Draft appears to have a good amount of talent at cornerback. That is, if the Cowboys can ignore some of their size and length thresholds.
Dallas loves to draft long cornerbacks, but this class is littered with undersized playmakers in Round 1. One such name is Mansoor Delane from LSU, who is widely viewed as a first-round pick in April. Let’s take a look at how he might fit in with the Cowboys and their draft strategy.
LSU CB Mansoor Delane 2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Height: 5111
Weight: 190 pounds
Expected 40 Yard Dash Time: 4.42-4.46
Recruiting: 3-star recruit, No. 55 ranked cornerback nationally.
College Production: 191 tackles, 27 pass deflections, 8 interceptions and 7 tackles for a loss.
Positives:
- Super loose player who can mirror the top wide receivers in the country.
- Excels in off-man coverage and can quickly drive on the football. One of the best click-and-close cornerbacks in the draft.
- Was not called for a single penalty during the 2025 season.
- Did not allow a single touchdown in 2025 and allowed just two receptions of 20+ yards.
- Made huge strides from his 2024 season where he allowed seven touchdowns and committed four penalties.
- Racked up a bunch of tackles over the last two seasons due to physical mindset despite substandard measurables.
- Plays with an attitude and is naturally aggressive. Has a junkyard dog mentality.
Delane is a highly versatile cornerback who can excel in both zone and man coverage. He has an incredible football IQ, and his movement skills will allow him to thrive in the NFL. Delane also has experience playing in the slot, which is where he could start his professional career. There is a lot to like about Delane, and his improvement year-over-year suggests that this is an ascending prospect whose best football is still ahead of him.
Negatives:
- Below-average length (30” arms) for a cornerback. Size suggests he might have to play in the slot in the NFL.
- Lack of size, length, and bulk could be an issue as a tackler in the NFL.
- Doesn’t have the power to press bigger wide receivers.
- Receivers with long speed could give him an issue at the next level.
- Not a special athlete. Expected to run in the mid-4.4s and it shows up on tape.
- Could struggle on longer developing routes (digs, overs, etc.) due to a lack of elite athleticism.
The negatives for Delane are fairly straightforward. He’s not a supreme athlete at cornerback, and that could be an issue moving forward. Athleticism and size matters a ton at cornerback in the NFL, especially against teams that move their top targets all over the field. Can Delane’s stickiness in coverage make up for the subpar traits? That’s going to be the question that every front office asks itself over the next three months.
Mansoor Delane NFL Player Comparison: Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie
This is a lofty comp because McDuffie is an All-Pro cornerback who has been one of the league’s top defenders for a while now. But in terms of size, athleticism, and playstyle, it fits. McDuffie is a very average athlete who fell to the back half of Round 1 of the 2022 draft because of his measurables. But his aggressiveness and tenacity have allowed him to thrive in the NFL.
There are some receivers who have given McDuffie problems in the NFL, but his stickiness in coverage and contest-everything mentality make him one of the better corners in the league. It’s unlikely Delane will have as much personal success as McDuffie (2x SB Champ, 2x All-Pro), but these are very similar players.
Mansoor Delane NFL Draft Grade: Top 20 Selection
There are going to be teams that knock Delane for his lack of size and that would be foolish. The NFL lacks good cornerbacks, especially ones who are feisty and can help in the run game. But the Cowboys could be one of those teams that dings Delane due to his lack of length.
Delane has the ball production and the coverage ability of a top 10 pick, but the average athleticism and below-average size will cost him. Look for him to be drafted somewhere in the teens and potentially be the first cornerback off the board in April.