After rumors of the Kansas City Chiefs wanting to move up and the Cleveland Browns wanting to move down swirled for several days leading up to the NFL Draft, the two teams turned out to be suitors for each other Thursday. Kansas City jumped to No. 6 to select LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, and the Browns dropped back to No. 9, selected Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano, and acquired later draft capital as well.
Here are full terms of the deal:
- Chiefs get: No. 6 overall pick (CB Mansoor Delane)
- Browns get: No. 9 overall pick (OT Spencer Fano), No. 74 overall pick, No. 148 overall pick
The trade was the first one of the night after the first five picks were full of surprises. After quarterback Fernando Mendoza went No. 1 to the Raiders as had long been expected, the Jets selected edge rusher David Bailey, and running back Jeremiyah Love went third to the Cardinals. The Titans made waves by selecting wide receiver Carnell Tate fourth, and EDGE/linebacker Arvell Reese — long a favorite to go No. 2 overall — had his short fall end at No. 5 with the Giants.
Then the Chiefs came up the board to select the top cornerback in the class. Here’s how the move stacks up for both teams.
Chiefs grade: B+
The Chiefs have long been a cornerback factory under Steve Spagnuolo, developing both early picks (Trent McDuffie) and mid- and late-round picks (L’Jarius Sneed, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams) into solid starters and, in Sneed and McDuffie’s cases, standouts. Some of that is Steve Spagnuolo’s magic as a play caller/designer/disguiser, of course, but Kansas City’s strong track record is impressive. (It does bear mentioning that secondary coach Dave Merritt was charged Thursday with misdemeanor domestic battery.)
McDuffie (via trade) and Watson (via free agency) are off to the Rams, though, so the need here was clear. Perhaps Delane would have made it to No. 9, but the Chiefs weren’t taking chances, and because they have so much extra draft capital, this moderate move up — ahead of the cornerback-needy Commanders (and perhaps the Saints) — made sense.
Should he pan out, Delane changes the complexion of the defense as a true shutdown guy. McDuffie, though different stylistically, did the same. PFF says Delane allowed just 14 completions on 35 attempts faced in 2025, allowed zero touchdowns and had two interceptions as the primary defender. He was a major riser across his collegiate career, jumping from Virginia Tech to LSU as a senior to show he could do it against the best of the best. CBS Sports NFL Draft expert Mike Renner says Delane can thrive in man or in zone, “takes control of one-on-one reps” and is “extremely consistent with his technique and patient in deployment.”
Though the haul Kansas City gave up is notable, it’s not irresponsible by any measure. In fact, the CBS Sports draft pick calculator mentioned the Chiefs came out slightly ahead in terms of pure value of the picks. Delane will have to pan out, of course, but the secondary was in desperate need of upgrades after this offseason’s departures. Delane can not only slot in as a starter right away, but, at his best, be a cornerstone for years to come.
Browns grade: A-
The Browns are in the unenviable position of years of struggle, but on the other hand, that gives them the enviable position of being open to many avenues in the NFL Draft. Cleveland is desperately looking for offensive help, certainly on the offensive line and at wide receiver, and perhaps, later in the draft, at quarterback. They ticked the first box in Fano, who was Mike Renner’s No. 5 overall prospect:
One word came to mind after watching Fano’s 2025 tape: clean. There’s not much on tape that really worries you. He can mirror speed, latch quickly in the run game and generate explosive movement. The only question is how his frame will translate to the NFL at tackle, but at worst, you’re getting a high-end interior lineman.
That should be music to the Browns’ ears as they attempt to build a capable offense. At this point, they don’t have to have all the answers. They just need talent, and Fano has it in bunches. Cleveland has almost completely overhauled its offensive line by trading for Tytus Howard, signing Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins and now drafting Fano. It was a much-needed overhaul, and it’s been executed solidly. That they moved down and still got the first offensive lineman off the board is a nice piece of business.
Remember, the Browns (like the Chiefs) have another first-round pick — Cleveland has No. 24, while Kansas City has No. 29 — and the Browns can look to add a wide receiver there. They don’t have to stop there. They can continue to find guys throughout the rest of the draft with their abundance of picks, which now includes extra picks in the third and fifth rounds, too.
Again, being a bad football team is bad. No one wants to be bad. But the flexibility it can afford a team can be good, and the Browns took advantage.
