The Washington Commanders took a big swing when they traded for Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore at last year’s trade deadline, sending the New Orleans Saints a 2025 third round pick, 2025 fourth round pick and 2025 sixth round pick in return.
It was a steep price to play for a player who the Commanders essentially got bamboozled on, and hasn’t been anything close to the shutdown cornerback they thought they were getting.
The steep price hasn’t just been in how bad Lattimore has played, but in how much the Commanders have paid him to do it. That’s because Washington took on the remainder of the whopping, 5-year, $97.6 million contract extension he signed with the Saints before the 2021 season.
Paying Lattimore approximately $18 million in 2025 has ended up being an insane move, and the Commanders are now 3-5 and staring down a lost season thanks in large part to a porous, aging defense.
Now, it might be time to look to the future.
Predicted to Replace Lattimore With SEC Star
Lattimore’s dropoff in play is a big reason why Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine and Daniel Harms thinks the Commanders should go after another cornerback in the 2026 NFL draft — specifically LSU standout and Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist Mansoor Delane.
“Cornerback is a new addition to the Commanders’ top draft needs,” Ballentine wrote on October 31. “While rookie Trey Amos has shown promise this season, Marshon Lattimore hasn’t lived up to expectations since the organization traded for him a year ago. Through the first seven games of this season, Pro Football Focus has Lattimore on the hook for 258 receiving yards allowed and an ugly 42.0 coverage grade.”
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has Delane as the No. 4 cornerback on his 2026 Draft Big Board, while Bleacher Report has him ranked No. 1.
“Delane is a complete cornerback now playing in a defense where he can thrive,” Harms wrote. “The 6’0″, 190-pound defensive back has been a shutdown corner for the LSU Tigers, putting his top-tier skills on display in the national spotlight, which has improved his standing in Bleacher Report’s rankings significantly.”
Transfer to LSU Sent Delane’s Draft Stock Soaring
Delane, 6-foot and 191 pounds, played his first 3 seasons of college football at Virginia Tech, where he was a Freshman All-American in 2022 and named All-ACC in 2024 before he transferred to LSU.
Getting to play and thriving against the nation’s best competition thrust him onto draft boards. Through 7 games against SEC play, he has 33 tackles, 1 interception and 7 pass deflections. For his career, Delane has 7 interceptions, including 4 picks in 2024.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has Delane listed as the No. 4 cornerback on his 2026 Big Board.
On October 28, Delane was announced as one of the semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s top collegiate defensive back.
From NFL Draft Buzz: “After cutting his teeth at Virginia Tech for three seasons where he started 29 consecutive games, Mansoor Delane made the calculated decision to bet on himself and transfer to LSU for his final collegiate campaign. This wasn’t just another player looking for NIL money — this was a future pro meticulously plotting his path to Sundays.”
While the Commanders might not have a young star at cornerback yet, they’ve drafted well at the position the last 2 years, taking Michigan’s Mike Sainristil in the second round (No. 50 overall) in 2024 and Ole Miss’ Trey Amos in the second round (No. 61 overall) in 2025.
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