Grading Raiders' Trade, Fourth-Round Pick of CB Jermod McCoy

The Las Vegas Raiders have continued to make progress on their roster, adding talent to positions of need. The Raiders have strung together five picks that add depth in the short-term and potential starters in the long term. In fact, each of the Raiders' draft picks could turn into a starter.

Raiders' Improvement

Las Vegas has had one of the worst defenses in the National Football League over the past few seasons. The Raiders have invested heavily in their roster this offseason, though. After adding some of the better linebackers in the league in free agency, the Raiders have improved other positions.

The Raiders addressed their linebackers and defensive line in free agency, but notably did not address their defensive backfield. Las Vegas' group of cornerbacks is one of the worst in the division, and arguably one of the worst in the league. It is not about talent; it is about depth.

On the third day of the NFL Draft, the Raiders traded up one spot with the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round and selected cornerback Jermod McCoy. The talented cornerback was ranked as the second-best cornerback in the class by ESPN, but sat out the 2025 season with an ACL injury.

The Raiders traded the Bills a seventh-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft for the right to draft a cornerback with first-round talent, who comes with injury concerns. The potential upside for what McCoy could be if he stays healthy made the trade a no-brainer for the Raiders.

Through five picks, Las Vegas' draft haul shows the front office knows exactly what is needed on its roster to help fix the many issues it has. With their first five picks in the draft and their moves in free agency, Las Vegas has aggressively attempted to address nearly every position group on the roster.

Raiders assistant general manager Brian Stark recently explained how the draft process has worked within the front office. Stark and Raiders general manager John Spytek are working closely with the rest of the Raiders front office to assemble a solid draft class.

"There's a group of us that'll be in there together, and we've all kind of watched a lot of these players independently, and then we watched them together as a group. So, John [Spytek] is great about encouraging everyone to speak up, and everyone's very confident to give their opinions on the players,” Stark said after the first night of the draft.

“And what it kind of does is it allows Spy to hear us kind of work through the differences maybe we saw in the player, and then he can kind of compare that to his vision of the player when he watched him."

Stark elaborated, noting that the decisions the Raiders make on draft day are a collection of thoughts, ideas, and research put in by everyone involved. So far, the Raiders have manufactured an impressive draft. No draft picks come with guarantees, but Las Vegas has done well so far.

The addition of McCoy is a low-risk, high-upside pick. If he stays healthy, they have improved greatly at the corner. If he does not, they will only use a fourth-round pick in this year's draft and a seventh-round pick in next year's draft. It is a very low-risk move that could pay off handsomely.

“It really allows us to come to a consensus, to where we all kind of have an understanding for how that player, where his value ranks among the other players available, and the vision for them to fit with our roster," Stark said.

"I think it's just a it's a big collaborative process. Now specifically Brandon Yeargan, our college director and I, a lot of times are working closely with the college scouts who aren't here all the time. So a lot of times we kind of serve as the mouthpiece for the college scouts too when they're not available to be in those meetings."

Grade: B

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