How Raiders Showing Continued Confidence in Offseason Gamble

The Las Vegas Raiders used the offseason to add talent to nearly every position on their roster. This was especially true at their biggest needs. In some cases, Las Vegas added multiple players to a position group, hoping to eliminate needs.

Las Vegas made more than a few respectable moves that appear, on paper, like a sure bet to work out for them. Of course, there are no guarantees in the National Football League. Any move any team makes could fail, but the Raiders took quality attempts at improvement in free agency and the draft.=

Yet those moves carried risk. Some of the moves carried more risk than usual, such as adding cornerback Jermod McCoy. The rookie cornerback missed his final collegiate season with an injury after registering as a first-round talent before that injury.

McCoy's Status

Las Vegas has long needed help at the cornerback position. They still need help at the position after adding four cornerbacks to the roster over the past two seasons, including McCoy. That's the risk for the Raiders, along with McCoy's health concerns.

Not only are those injury concerns still there, but the fact that they still need help at cornerback means that they cannot afford for McCoy not to be at least serviceable this season. So far, the Raiders' front office and staff are confident in McCoy, his health, and their ability to develop him.

May 28, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jermod McCoy (28) runs a drill during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Well, we're excited about Jermod [McCoy], and I wasn't - I don't think Starkey [Brian Stark] was and as a building, I don't think we were apprehensive when we made the pick. We were committed to the player,” Raiders general manager John Spytek said shortly after announcing the team's initial 53-man roster.

“We were committed to our plan with him, and I think that maybe the most exciting thing that we can say at this point is he's a great kid. He's a tireless worker, and he's been on the grass and on the turf, really every opportunity that he's had so far. He's played in three preseason games. I think he's missed one practice, so I think we're all excited about the track that he's on."

Raiders' Gamble

Leonard aims to be as versatile as possible moving forward. This will give him the chance to show opposing offenses multiple looks during any game. McCoy may not begin the season as a starter, but he is almost certain to get a healthy number of snaps this season.

The Raiders have needed help at cornerback for many seasons. They play in a division that features three of the league's best quarterbacks and offensive coordinators. It is only a matter of time before they will need to lean on their depth at cornerback. They hope McCoy and others will be ready.

“I think about that all the time personally. Klint [Kubiak] talks about a 70- man roster. You're always thinking about that,” DC Rob Leonard said.

“How deep you are at whatever position, and if this guy goes down, who goes in the game? And constantly thinking about that. So it is, and then with different packages of this guy's in the game, there's more than just the starting lineup listed on a sheet of paper. Always. That's any football team."

Like all the other new pieces Las Vegas added this offseason, McCoy will need time to acclimate. Yet his addition to the roster was undoubtedly a gamble, as his prior health concerns were well noted ahead of draft day. Their sheer need for talent at corner also makes it a gamble.

The Raiders' front office did its best to limit the gamble they took on McCoy by waiting until the fourth round to select a player whom many believed would have been drafted within the first 10-15 overall picks if not for his injury.

McCoy's upside made him well worth the investment of a fourth-round pick. However, entering the season, the team's cornerback need and questions about McCoy's durability make him a gamble worth watching.

The Raiders' brass are confident in McCoy, and they should be. How well he performs over the next few months will be the true tell.

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