Mansoor Delane, Virginia Tech: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Delane was a three-star recruit from Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn, Md. in the class of 2022

Mansoor Delane is the top 2025 NFL Draft prospect on a talented Virginia Tech squad. He has the physical tools to develop into a lockdown man-to-man corner but appears more comfortable operating in zone at this point in his career.

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Mansoor Delane, CB Virginia Tech: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior outside cornerback from Silver Spring, Md.

Background: Delane was a three-star recruit from Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn, Md. in the class of 2022. He was the No. 650 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 653 for On3.com. Delane was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked four-star recruit for ESPN with an 80 grade out of 100.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed preseason camp in 2022 with a shoulder injury

Awards: 2022 Honorable Mention All-ACC, 2022 Freshman All-American (247Sports)

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick coverage, punt return, and field goal block units, some experience working at safety, minimal penalties, loose and fluid athlete, arm length appears to meet NFL thresholds, tracks WRs well when they motion across the formation, two-handed punch in press re-routes receivers when it lands, quick backpedal, quick to drive on in-breaking routes, good closing speed, athletic traits to be sticky, fast feet help him stay attached at the top of the stem, re-accelerates quickly to match double moves, recovery speed, impressive awareness of developing route combos in zone, smooth transitions between routes in zone, good range, reads the QB’s eyes to anticipate throws, impressive vertical, wide area of influence at the catch point

Cons: Lean throughout frame, too many whiffs with press punches, two-handed punches in press miss the mark, some panicked or wild footwork near LOS, opens hips too early at times, impatience in press leads to significant separation for WR, caught by pick routes on switch releases in press, bumped off coverage by physicality, some instances allowing too much cushion in off-man, too loose at the stem’s peak on short routes in man coverage, sometimes allows separation over the top on double moves, limited ball production entering 2024, play strength impacts block deconstruction, inconsistent deconstructing blocks, steep angles in run defense, dives low and misses tackles, drops head and tries to submarine ball carriers instead of wrapping up and driving through, bounces off some tackle attempts

Overview: Delane has experience operating in various coverages, including Cover 2 and Cover 4, and playing a mixture of off-man and press. He occasionally lines up at free safety in a two-high shell when Virginia Tech sustains injuries deep in their secondary. He has special teams experience on the kick coverage, punt return, and field goal block units. Delane is a loose and fluid athlete with long arms and a lean frame. He opens plays with a firm two-handed punch to re-route receivers, but this punch often whiffs and leaves him vulnerable early in the route. Delane has a quick backpedal and loose hips to open and carry receivers in a half-turn, but he sabotages himself near the line of scrimmage. His unnecessary panic leads to some wild footwork and opening his hips too early. He has the physical tools to recover from these situations, but those mistakes will prove costly early in his NFL career. Delane’s impatience and overeagerness operating in press provide the receiver with too many opportunities to separate early in the route. The junior’s awareness in press needs to increase to avoid being caught off guard by pick routes and switch releases. Physical receivers bump Delane off his path and forcibly create separation. He’s guilty of allowing too much cushion in off-man and giving the receiver too much space to operate at the stem’s peak on short routes when he has all of the physical tools to play a much tighter brand of defense. Delane quickly drives on in-breaking routes from off-man and has the closing speed to shut down throwing windows. His loose hips, fast feed, top speed, and natural athleticism make him a prime candidate to develop into a sticky man coverage corner, but he’s still a developmental prospect. Delane uses his fast footwork to stay attached to receivers at the top of the stem. He allows some separation over the top on double moves but re-accelerates and shows the recovery speed to catch up to the receiver. The Maryland native’s awareness of route combinations in zone suggests he’s a better zone defender than man defender at this point. Delane smoothly transitions between threats in zone and has the range to blanket wide areas. He makes some of his best plays when allowed to keep his eyes on the quarterback and anticipate throwing lanes. Delane’s size and vertical give him a larger defense radius at the catch point. He doesn’t offer much in run defense. The former three-star recruit lacks the play strength to deconstruct blocks consistently. He takes steep angles to the football and misses tackles by dropping his head and diving low instead of wrapping up.

Overall, Delane has the physical traits to be a sticky press-man corner, but his lack of discipline and technical breakdowns make it clear that he is still a work in progress. Delane needs to trust his athleticism more when in press coverage. He should focus on adding weight to play closer to 195 lbs. in the NFL.  

Role & Scheme Fit: Eventual outside corner in a man-heavy scheme

Round Grade: Third Round

Size: 6'1", 187 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 09-09-24

Updated: 10-22-24