KC Chiefs lock up entire 2026 NFL Draft class with fully guaranteed deals for 1st-round picks Mansoor Delane and Peter Woods
The Kansas City Chiefs locked up CB Mansoor Delane and DT Peter Woods, solidifying contracts for their entire rookie draft class for 2026. What do these contracts mean for K.C., and what’s next for the team as it relates to the salary cap and roster moves?
The Kansas City Chiefs finished some more important business ahead of mandatory minicamp, which runs from June 9 through June 11.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chiefs have signed first-round pick Peter Woods to a fully guaranteed rookie contract worth $17.975 million. He says that Woods’ agents negotiated a deal that includes the highest upfront percentage of his signing bonus in Chiefs’ 1st-round pick history.
Mansoor Delane, the No. 6 overall pick, was the only unsigned 2026 NFL Draft pick for Kansas City. However, about 20 minutes later, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport confirmed that Delane had agreed to terms on a fully guaranteed four-year deal worth $41.9 million
Chiefs’ Entire 2026 NFL Draft Class Now Under Contract
The team now has all 7 of their 2026 NFL Draft picks under contract for the next four years. The Chiefs will have fifth-year options on Delane and Woods in 2030.
- Round 1, Pick 6: LSU CB Mansoor Delane
- Round 1, Pick 29: Clemson DT Peter Woods
- Round 2, Pick 40: Oklahoma DE R Mason Thomas
- Round 4, Pick 109: Oregon DB Jadon Canady
- Round 5, Pick 161: Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson
- Round 5, Pick 176: Cincinnati WR Cyrus Allen
- Round 7, Pick 249: LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier
The Chiefs’ recent contract restructure of George Karlaftis told us that these moves were eventually coming. It was only a matter of time before the team got things squared away. However, these moves now have a bit of a domino effect on the team’s ability to further improve the roster.
What are the implications of both of these deals for Kansas City?
It’s no surprise that Woods and Delane both signed fully guaranteed deals based on their draft slot. That’s now commonplace for picks deep into the second round. The “record” aspect of Woods’ deal, and likely Delane’s deal as well, is not a money story, but rather a structure story. Having a higher percentage signing bonus is a win for the player because they get upfront money. Paying that higher percentage of signing bonus upfront means it spreads out the salary cap hit evenly through bonus proration throughout the life of the contracts.
What’s next for the Kansas City Chiefs as it relates to roster moves and the salary cap?
The folks at Over The Cap projected a $3.31 million salary cap hit for Woods in Year 1. They also projected a $7.74 million salary cap hit for Delane in Year 1. When they sign their deals, they’ll knock a few players out of the top-51 contracts. By rule, they’ll only count for a combined $9.05 million (roughly) toward the salary cap.
The Chiefs started the day with just under $12.5 million in salary cap space. They’ll be left with $3.45 million in salary cap space once these two deals are officially ratified. The team’s deal with CB L’Jarius Sneed is reportedly a one-year contract, worth up to $5 million.
To make a long story short — if the Chiefs want to make other roster moves, they’ll need to create more salary cap space. If they don’t create more space, they won’t be making any other improvements to the roster. They still have options to create space. They have already restructured QB Patrick Mahomes & DE George Karlaftis’ contract, but some of the hypothetical moves outlined here remain relevant.