How close was LSU Tigers cornerback Mansoor Delane to becoming a member of the New Orleans Saints? We'll never know for sure, but he was linked closely to the black and gold, and one team believed the Saints were a great enough threat to pick him they traded up ahead of them on draft day. Saints fans are understandably tired of the old Patrick Mahomes story, but history may have repeated itself here. It was Mahomes' team that made the move.

Here's some insight from Albert Breer for Sports Illustrated. In trade talks between Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry (picking sixth) and his Kansas City Chiefs counterpart Brett Veach (looking to move up from ninth), the two sides pieced together what they thought may happen with the Washington Commanders at No. 7 and the Saints lurking at No. 8.

From Breer's notebook: "Veach saw above him the inverse of what Berry saw beneath him in the order—two teams that would be in play to ruin his night. The Commanders needed corner help, but Berry thought they’d lean receiver first. He figured the opposite with the Saints, who lost Paulson Adebo last year and Alontae Taylor this year. Either way, both teams were an issue, and the analytics folks told Veach that Delane’s likely destination was New Orleans."

It's fascinating to think of how the 2026 draft may have played out if the Chiefs stayed put and Delane became a Saint instead of Jordyn Tyson. If everything else fell the same way, the Saints may have had to trade up in Round 2 for a receiver like Denzel Boston (No. 39 to Cleveland) or staying put and taking Germie Bernard (No. 47 to the Pittsburgh Steelers). Cornerback was a position New Orleans wanted to address early in the draft (along with edge rusher), but it wasn't in the cards. Maybe they can try a different approach in free agency or in the trade market.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Chiefs traded up for Mansoor Delane because of Saints