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Raiders Trade Up for Jermod McCoy, 101st Pick

4/26/2026

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Summary

Raiders Draft McCoy

The Las Vegas Raiders selected Jermod McCoy with 101st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, sending a 2027 seventh-round pick to Buffalo to move up one spot.
He ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash, 38-inch vertical and 10-ft-7-in broad jump at his pro day.
Despite dropping from a projected first-round slot after a January 2025 ACL tear and bone-plug concerns, Raiders graded McCoy an A+ for talent, calling the pick high-risk, high-reward.

Summary

Leonard Installs Defense

Rob Leonard will install a 3-4 defense, adding seventh-round pick Brandon Cleveland for interior depth.
GM John Spytek said the draft reflects a long-term stability plan by trading back to stockpile talent.
FanDuel lists rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza at +320 to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Trey Zuhn III, a 6-6, 312-lb Texas A&M lineman with a 96.8 PPF pass-blocking grade, is a security blanket for Mendoza.

History

Historical Context

Since the Raiders turned a 1998 fourth-overall pick on Heisman winner Charles Woodson into a Hall of Famer, the franchise has prized high-risk cornerbacks—exemplified by Lester Hayes’s 13 interceptions in 1980. In 2026 GM John Spytek’s trade for speedster Jermod McCoy echoes that tradition, hoping a similar gamble secures long-term stability.

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Raiders Draft McCoy

The Las Vegas Raiders selected Jermod McCoy with 101st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, sending a 2027 seventh-round pick to Buffalo to move up one spot.
He ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash, 38-inch vertical and 10-ft-7-in broad jump at his pro day.
Despite dropping from a projected first-round slot after a January 2025 ACL tear and bone-plug concerns, Raiders graded McCoy an A+ for talent, calling the pick high-risk, high-reward.

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