Raiders 4th-round star named one of most underrated rookies

The Las Vegas Raiders are an interesting team ahead of the 2026 season. 

Of course, top pick Fernando Mendoza is the rookie everybody is paying attention to. Mendoza just had one of the most magical college seasons ever and there's real belief that he can be the franchise star. However, there's another rookie on the team who could actually make an impact sooner. 

If you're wondering who an underrated rookie could be, look no further than the Raiders' fourth-round selection. 

Jermod McCoy called one of NFL's most underrated rookies 

The Raiders got lucky in the 2026 NFL Draft. One of the draft's top overall talents suffered a dramatic fall all the way to the fourth round, and the Raiders took advantage. 

Jermod McCoy was almost universally mocked as a first-round pick, but due to some scary medicals, he fell all the way to Day Three. The Raiders were happy to end his slide and they may have an immediate impact starter. 

Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently identified the most underrated rookies, and McCoy made the cut. Regarding McCoy, Davenport offered the following:

There was a time when it didn't appear that Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jermod McCoy was falling under any radars. After an outstanding 2024 season at Tennessee, McCoy was considered one of the best young prospects at his position.

But in January of 2025, everything changed. McCoy tore his ACL in an offseason workout, and the injury wiped out his entire 2025 season. Still, McCoy was high on more than a few draft boards heading into this year's draft—on Bleacher Report's final pre-draft Big Board, the 6'1" 188-pounder was ranked as the No. 11 prospect overall.

The Raiders overhauled the defense in the offseason, but the team still needs quality starters on the back end. If Vegas got one of those in Round 4, it could be the single biggest steal of this year's draft.

As Davenport mentioned, if it weren't for injury concerns, McCoy almost certainly would have been an early first-round pick. There's no denying his talent, and if the Raiders can get the most out of him, it's not hard to see him as a steal. 

"I expect him to practice. I expect him to be on the field," head coach Klint Kubiak said of McCoy. "It's gonna be a moving target with him, but we drafted him for a reason. We drafted him to play, so I expect him to compete in camp and get plenty of reps."

The Raiders don't have the best secondary in the league, so it won't be surprising to see McCoy getting snaps immediately. 

Raiders boast very interesting rookie class

The Raiders have several rookies to feel good about. Mendoza and McCoy have received most of the talk, but offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III and outside linebacker Keyron Crawford could claim roles immediately as well. 

McCoy isn't alone in the secondary, either. In total, the team drafted four defensive backs, so there's a lot of new blood in the room which should be a good thing. 

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