If it weren't for an ACL injury that cost Jermod McCoy all of last season, he would have likely been selected in the first round. The Raiders got him at the top of the fourth round.

With McCoy on the board, the Raiders made sure they got him by sending a 7th round pick in the 2027 draft to Buffalo to get the 101st pick.

And with the 101st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders selected...

McCoy transferred to Tennessee from Oregon State and his performance in the 2024 season had him as one of the top defensive backs in the country. That season he picked off four passes and defended nine more.

An ACL injury cost him the entire 2025 season and he opted to enter the 2026 NFL Draft. Additional tests on his knee revealed that there is a chance he would need another surgery on the knee and there is a good enough chance that the surgery would not be successful. And if it isn't, that would end his career.

But if he does need that surgery and it works, the Raiders will have gotten themselves one of the best cornerbacks in this draft. That's a risk/reward ratio worth taking on day three.

This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: 2026 NFL Draft results: Raiders trade up one spot, end Jermod McCoy tumble