LSU CB Mansoor Delane could end franchise-long Saints draft streak

By Ross Jackson

Not drafting LSU football talent has long been a truth of the New Orleans Saints. However, this year, the Tigers’ top cornerback Mansoor Delane could finally buck the trend and change history.

Including the 1967 expansion draft, the Saints have selected just 11 LSU players in the NFL Draft. The most recent of which, offensive lineman Will Clapp, was selected in 2018 and the team has only selected three Tigers since the 2004 draft (Clapp, Al Woods in 2010 and Devery Henderson in 2004). 

But more surprisingly is that over the course of the Saints’ franchise history, the team has never selected an LSU Tiger in the first round.

This isn’t entirely surprising, however. Oftentimes when LSU talent was projected to go highly in the first, the Saints were drafting in the backend of the opening round. But this season, the team’s fortunes may collide.

Delane has a chance to not only break the streak of years in which New Orleans has not selected an LSU player (seven years) but could wind up being the program’s first ever player taken by the Saints in the first round.

The Saints are drafting No. 8 overall this year and Delane is a surefire bet to be the first cornerback off of the board in this year’s selection process. Not only does the opportunity align from an availability and pick perspective, but also from a team needs point of view.

The one remaining roster hole (regarding starting roles) is the slot cornerback position. While Delane hasn’t played that role specifically, he could take on the Saints’ boundary corner position, opening the opportunity for another player like second-year corner Quincy Riley or a versatile safety a chance to move into the coveted STAR/slot spot in defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s system.

Delane, 5-foot-11 and 182 pounds, appeared in 11 games in 2025 compiling 45 total tackles, two interceptions and 11 passes defended on his way to be selected as a Consensus All-American player.

With talented wide receivers and edge rushers also likely to be available at No. 8 overall, the decision won’t be an easy one. But whichever direction the team decides to take, it will walk away with a strong starter and impact player added to the roster.

A cornerback tandem of Delane and incumbent starting Kool-Aid McKinstry could provide the Saints a strong starting duo for the foreseeable future. But in order to realize that potential, the Saints will have to do something they’ve never done before in the process.