By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs traded up three spots in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night and selected LSU's Mansoor Delane, making him the first cornerback taken and filling arguably their biggest positional need.
The Chiefs, who also have the No. 29 overall pick, sent the ninth choice to Cleveland along with No. 74 and No. 148 to move up to make sure they got the cornerback they wanted. The Browns moved down for the second straight year, going from No. 2 to No. 4 last year in a move that included Jacksonville's first-round pick this year.
“They made the best move in the draft and I'm excited,” Delane said.
Delane had emerged as the top cornerback in the draft after an All-American season with the Tigers, where he was a finalist for the Thorpe Award following three seasons at Virginia Tech. He made 45 tackles and two interceptions in 11 starts last season.
The Chiefs picked up their second first-round pick in this year's draft when they traded standout cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Rams in a deal that also included fifth- and sixth-rounders this year and a third-round pick in 2027. But the move also created a big hole in their secondary, which became even bigger when fellow starter Jaylen Watson also headed to Los Angeles in free agency.
Delane should fit perfectly in the man-to-man defense favored by Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.