The Las Vegas Raiders opened the fourth round with a calculated risk, selecting Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy with the first pick of Saturday's final day of the NFL draft. McCoy had been waiting since Friday for his name to be called, and the Raiders were banking that his playmaking ability would outweigh concerns over a torn ACL that sidelined him for all of last season.
McCoy recorded six interceptions across 25 games during his college career, which began at Oregon State in 2023 before he transferred to Tennessee. He suffered the knee injury during offseason workouts in January 2025, shortly after the Volunteers' loss in the College Football Playoff.
The Raiders' secondary struggled mightily in 2025, posting a 3-14 record while generating just eight interceptions across 17 games, ranking 25th among the 32 NFL teams. Adding a playmaker like McCoy could help address that glaring weakness, assuming he returns to form after rehabilitation.
McCoy took the selection in stride, acknowledging he had prepared himself for any outcome. "I was prepared for whatever happened, but I mean, I would've been excited to go higher, for sure, because I mean, I had a good pro day, ran some good times and just did good things like that," he said. "But I mean, I was prepared for whatever happened. Because I mean, it's not in my control."
The pick carries an unexpected bonus: McCoy will reunite with Fernando Mendoza, the quarterback Las Vegas selected first overall. Years earlier, when McCoy was at Oregon State and Mendoza was playing for California, McCoy picked off Mendoza in a game that stood out as one of his most memorable college moments.
"It was probably one of the top moments in my life, my first college pick," McCoy said. "We talked after that game too, just chopped it up a little bit. We got the best quarterback in college football and now going to be the best in the league."
McCoy said the experience of watching three rounds pass before hearing his name should serve as motivation. Injuries derailed what appeared to be a first-round trajectory, but he believes the setback will fuel his comeback. "I feel like I learned about myself. It's just like, I feel like I'm super mentally strong," he said. "I feel I've just been through a lot. I got a story that I'm still trying to tell."
Elsewhere on the final day, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik's draft fortunes continued a sharp decline from the preseason hype. Klubnik entered last season as a Heisman contender and national title hopeful, only to watch Clemson collapse to a 7-6 record. The New York Jets selected him in the compensatory selections at 110th overall.
The draft wrapped up at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, where NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reported record attendance for the first two days, with over 600,000 fans descending on the city's North Shore and Point State Park. The entire draft drew millions of viewers, continuing the event's evolution into one of sports' most watched annual ceremonies.
Author James Rodriguez: "McCoy's story isn't unique in draft heartbreak, but the Raiders are betting his tape and hunger matter more than his injury history, and that's the kind of upside play that occasionally builds future defenses."
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