NFL Trade Rumors
We’re through the first round of the College Football Playoff and bowl season is in full swing. Most of these prospects have finished putting out tape in their college careers, so it’s time for me to officially unveil my updated position rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Today I’m ranking my top 10 cornerbacks, and this might be the deepest position group in this entire draft. There isn’t a surefire blue-chip prospect at the top, but I have first-round grades on five prospects, with the rest of my top 10 receiving Day 2 grades. There are some notable names that didn’t make my top 10, which just goes to show how deep this group is.
If you’d like to check out my other updated position rankings, you can do so below:
A three-star recruit from Maryland, Delane spent the first three seasons of his career at Virginia Tech, hitting the ground running for the Hokies. As a true freshman, he had 38 tackles, an interception, eight passes defensed and two forced fumbles, earning honorable mention All-ACC recognition. As a sophomore, Delane posted 54 tackles, an interception, and a pass defensed. His junior season was his best in Blacksburg, as he had 54 tackles, four interceptions, seven passes defensed and two forced fumbles, making third-team All-ACC and transferring to LSU after the season. In his first year with the Tigers, Delane had 45 tackles, two interceptions and 11 passes defensed, earning consensus first-team All-SEC honors and vaulting his name up draft boards.
Standing at 6-0, 190 pounds, Delane is a little small for a cornerback by NFL standards. He uses that to his advantage, however, with all-world change-of-direction abilities and movement skills. It doesn’t matter how fast he or the receiver is going, because Delane can turn on a dime with incredibly smooth hips and elite footwork to stay sticky in coverage. Combined with his excellent recovery speed, it means he’s never out of a play and can pivot and react to passes that the quarterback would never expect him to be able to make a play on.
As a zone defender, Delane plays with excellent positioning and awareness. He can track multiple routes with ease and plays off the quarterback well, jumping routes for easy picks and shutting down his area. At the catch point, he consistently rakes through the receiver’s arms to break up passes even if he can’t get his hands on the football. He’s a good run defender, too, delivering big hits and sticking to his assignments without getting out of position.
Delane’s size limitations can show up on occasion, notably when he’s fighting bigger receivers at the catch point. Savvy players with size can box him out and there’s not much he can do about it. His aggression can also be used against him at times, as he bites on double moves a little too often and can get burned...
