Mansoor Delane is an ideal choice for the Cowboys at pick 12, but his impressive performance at the NFL Combine, where he clocked a lightning-quick 4.38 in the 40-yard dash, may have pushed him up the draft board to a higher position. For this mock draft, he does indeed fall. Delane will fit nicely into a cornerback room consisting of Daron Bland, who is hoping to bounce back after an up-and-down season, new acquisition Cobie Durant, and second-year player Shavon Revel.

Delane is a highly athletic and shifty player who hits hard and flies to the ball, breaking up passes at an elite rate. He played through a core injury for most of the 2025 season while still performing at an elite level. With Bland appearing to regress last year due to inconsistent play and Trevon Diggs completely falling off and ultimately being released, the team is in dire need of a lockdown number one cornerback.

There are concerns about Delane’s aggressive hand usage, which tends to bring in flags, and his inconsistency in locating deep balls. There is confidence that these issues will continue to improve, as he has demonstrated significant progress in most other aspects of his game over the past two years. Some scouts are optimistic about his transition to the NFL and project him to become one of the top 10 to 12 cornerbacks in the league relatively quickly.