The Athletic Mock Draft has Miami Selecting Virginia Tech-LSU Cornerback Mansoor Delane at No. 11

Miami Gardens, FL — When the Dolphins walk to the virtual podium with the 11th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, they will do so with a rebuilt edge room but a glaring vacancy at outside corner. According to The Athletic’s consensus mock draft, that vacancy will be filled by one of the most traveled and technically refined cover men in the class: Virginia Tech-to-LSU transfer Mansoor Delane.

“I was tempted to go with an edge rusher here after the Dolphins traded Jaelan Phillips last season,” wrote The Athletic’s Manny Navarro, “but it made more sense to take one of the top two corners in the draft. Delane is an elite, scheme-versatile playmaker who did not blink against SEC competition after three years at Virginia Tech.”

Delane’s résumé backs up the praise. Over 29 consecutive starts for the Hokies he logged 1,826 defensive snaps, recording 146 tackles, 22 passes defended and six interceptions while earning Third-Team All-ACC honors in 2024. Rather than declare as a likely mid-round pick last winter, he bet on himself, transferring to LSU for a single season under renowned secondary coach Corey Raymond and daily battles against Heisman-candidate quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and a loaded Tigers receiver room.

The gamble appears to have paid off. A 2025 core-muscle injury that would have sidelined most players never forced him to miss time, and his tape still flashes lockdown traits: textbook press-coverage punches, fluid hip turns and the processing speed to drive on routes in off-man or zone looks. While he can improve locating the football vertically and adding bulk to handle bigger targets, his instincts and competitive makeup have remained constant since the first collegiate snap of his career—a run stuff against North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

NFL scouts view Delane as a rare chess piece who has cross-trained at corner, nickel and safety this spring, a versatility Miami’s multiple-front defense covets. The Dolphins have historically asked their corners to play sides, not roles; Delane’s pattern-matching acumen and zone awareness could allow him to contribute immediately in sub-packages before growing into a full-time boundary role.

The pick also reflects value. In a cornerback-rich draft, landing a technician who has already proven he can excel in both the ACC and SEC gives Miami flexibility to address pass-rush depth on Day 2. Should Delane’s physical maturation match his mental approach, the Dolphins may have secured a shutdown cornerstone without trading up.

For now, the 11th slot is penciled in beside Mansoor Delane’s name—an investment in coverage that Miami hopes will pay dividends when the division-rival bills and jets come calling next fall.