Favorite pick from the Raiders’ 2026 draft class

Washington has the production and traits to be a schematic fit for the Raiders’ wide zone run game — a Shanahan-style system prioritizing horizontal stretching of the defense to create vertical lanes. Not only does the tailback have the juice to reach the edge on outside zone runs, Washington brings the one-cut ability to plant and accelerate through an opening.

Not only do defenders have to account for his ability to get East and West quickly, they’ll need to contend with the running back’s straight-line speed once a crease opens.

It’s that downhill acceleration and ability to run away from defenses that Las Vegas sorely needs.

Washington comes to the Raiders with zone blocking familiarity as the Razorbacks deployed similar concepts and the halfback showed he can excel in both wide and inside zone runs against SEC competition. Interestingly enough, Washington’s athletic profile is reminiscent of a former Arkansas running back that the Silver & Black used the fourth overall pick on in the 2008 NFL Draft: Darren McFadden.

With imposing size and speed, it’s no surprise to hear Washington talk about forming a thunder and lightning duo with Jeanty in the desert.

“I mean, I’m super excited to get rolling with him. All I could think of is thunder and lightning,” the rookie running back said after being drafted. “So, super excited to be the one-two punch with him. And to really, like I said before, be a sponge and learn from him also at the same time.”

While it’s assumed that Washington is the thunder in this scenario as the bigger back compared to Jeanty (5-foot-8 and 211 pounds), the distinction works flipped, too. The incumbent running back has the low center of gravity and power to break through tackles while Washington has the speed and quickness to zap a defense with this speed — as both ball carrier and pass catcher.

And therein lies one of the big areas of opportunity for Washington: While he brings prototypical size to the table, running to that size — with more aggression and physicality — will be vital jumping into the pro game.

While he’s shown the ability to run through defensive backs at Arkansas, New Mexico State, and Buffalo during his collegiate career, doing so against NFL DBs, linebackers, and defensive linemen will go a long way to dictating how Washington acclimates to the professional game. Add into that pass protection, again, Washington has imposing stature, but needs to be equally as physical and aggressive blocking incoming defenders looking to wreck the quarterback as he is with the ball in his hands.

But on potential, Washington’s addition to the Raiders offensive backfield represents an upgrade over what the team currently has and what it had last season (super veteran Raheem Mostert and Zamir White).

The Real McCoy?

The Raiders’ earlier fourth-round selection of cornerback Jermod McCoy (101st overall and the fourth stanza’s opening pick) was very close to be my favorite Silver & Black choice. Carrying a consensus first-round grade heading into the 2026 draft, the talented Tennessee defender had quite the slide due to long-term concerns regarding a knee injury.

The Volunteers’ shutdown corner tore his ACL in 2025 and the serious concern lies with a “bone plug” procedure used to repair a cartilage defect. Any signs of knee degeneration will scare of the 32 teams, hence why McCoy wasn’t selected until Day 3. However, McCoy noted he feels good, Las Vegas will do it’s due diligence medically as they proceed.

If McCoy regains his 2023 (at Oregon State) and 2024 (at Tennessee) form, the Raiders landed a first-round talent that can shadow and shutdown receivers while taking the ball away in the fourth round. Snaring six interceptions in two collegiate seasons along with 16 pass deflections, McCoy has ideal size (nearly 6-foot-1 and 188 pounds), speed, and physicality to be a thief at cornerback.

A smooth corner before his ACL tear, McCoy combines athleticism, instincts that profile as an ideal boundary/perimeter corner with the ability to cover the slot, if needed. For the Raiders, that “if” becoming reality would be quite the boon and steal.

The Silver & Black are no strangers to fourth-round fliers on prospects coming off an injury.

The team opened the 2007 fourth round by selecting Louisville running back Michael Bush who missed all of his 2007 season in college recovering from a compound fracture in his right leg suffered on September 3, 2006 against Kentucky. Bush went on to form a thunder and lightning duo with McFadden and rushed for 2,642 yards and 21 touchdowns on 632 carries while adding 879 yards and one touchdown on 91 receptions for the Raiders from 2008 to 2011.