The Kansas City Chiefs traded up in the first round, jumping two teams to select LSU corner, Mansoor Delane. It is an exciting addition for a franchise that lost both Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson in the 2026 offseason. However, with nearly every first-round pick comes an expected demotion, and looking at Kansas City's current depth chart, it is fair to believe that Kristian Fulton is now in trouble.
For the Chiefs, it makes the most sense to put Delane in the lineup alongside Nohl Williams, who is coming off an impressive rookie season. Kansas City made a notable free-agent addition in the offseason, signing Kader Kohou. It is a safe assumption that the Chiefs wouldn't make the addition without a confident plan to utilize the defensive back within Steve Spagnuolo's system.
Kohou projects as the nickel back while Williams and the newly drafted Delane will handle the outside. With this in mind, it seems that Fulton is the odd man out and will be pushed into a fourth corner role. While this doesn't mean the Chiefs will part ways with valuable depth, it does indicate a clear demotion for a veteran who, before Kansas City's first-round moves, was projected as a starter.
Chiefs First Round Selection Sets up Kristian Fulton for Clear Demotion
Fulton played 208 defensive snaps for the Chiefs in the 2025 season and provided four pass breakups. The corner wasn't a huge part of Kansas City's defensive scheme, given the presence of McDuffie and Watson. This draft selection shows that the franchise doesn't trust the veteran to carry a heavier load.
It is hard to fault this decision-making when you consider the unknown ceiling of having Williams and Delane as the team's starting duo. Spagnuolo has a history of getting the most out of the position, with McDuffie and L'Jarius Sneed the most recent examples. The Chiefs not only selected Delane, but also moved up from the No. 9 pick to the No. 6 pick to do so, which speaks to the level of confidence in the rookie.
The flip side of this is the lack of trust it shows in the veteran, as it is a clear demotion for a player previously expected to factor in the starting lineup. For Fulton, the road is now more difficult with the Chiefs having every reason to consider the defender's future.
A rough camp or preseason could lead the team to turn the page in favor of a younger and more exciting starting lineup now. Fulton being cut would save KC $5 million in cap space, making it clear that it is now a possibility if the Chiefs do not believe the corner can be reliable depth as the fourth option. As excited as Kansas City fans should be about the selection of Delane, there is no denying the setback is real for Fulton.
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