10. New England Patriots: Kevin Byard, SAF (Free Agent, Bears)
The New England Patriots have been in the news cycle for all the wrong reasons so far this offseason, but on the field, this team has gotten some substantial upgrades.
We can't quite write about the Patriots adding AJ Brown at the wide receiver position just yet, although that does feel like a foregone conclusion at this point. I loved the Caleb Lomu pick in the 1st round of this draft, and Gabe Jacas was on my "my guys" list from this year's class. The Patriots made a lot of smart moves, but how about the underrated Kevin Byard signing?
Byard has been an ageless wonder at the safety position, and is coming off of a season with the Chicago Bears in which he picked off seven passes, earning 1st-team All-Pro honors. He'll be a huge pickup for the Patriots' secondary.
9. Kansas City Chiefs: Mansoor Delane, CB (1st round pick, NFL Draft)
It's definitely a bittersweet move to talk about, but the Chiefs believed they had to have Mansoor Delane in the 2026 NFL Draft. They traded up three spots, giving up some valuable real estate later on, to get the LSU product, and for good reason.
Not only is Delane a quality prospect in his own right, but the Chiefs had spent the prior months absolutely gutting their defensive backfield. That housecleaning included moving on from veteran Trent McDuffie, who was traded to the Rams in a blockbuster deal early on this year.
The Chiefs' decision to trade McDuffie casts a dark cloud over some of the moves they made in the secondary, but evaluating Delane on his own, this is just a great player for Steve Spagnuolo's defense. He's physical, aggressive, and will be counted on to be a stud CB1 immediately.
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