Raiders' 2026 draft will be defined by how Fernando Mendoza performs

High ceiling, big risk

Had he been healthy last season, McCoy might have been a top-10 pick, but he had to wait until the first selection of the final day. The Raiders swapped draft places with Buffalo and sent the Bills a 2027 seventh-round pick to take McCoy. McCoy missed last season because of an ACL tear, and reports surfaced recently that he might need another surgery to address a second issue with the same knee. “All my doctors that did my surgery, they told me I’m good,” McCoy said. “I feel like I’m good, but if there’s something that they’re wanting me to do for the longevity of my career, I’m willing to do that. I’m going to listen to the team, because I feel like they have my best interest for me.” Brandon Hunt, the Raiders' vice president of player personnel, said no decision has been made on whether McCoy needs a second procedure. “We felt good about it at where we took him,” Hunt said. “It was an opportunity to get value. This is arguably the best corner in the draft, and we feel like we have great people and a great process to make sure we get the best out of each player.”

Wilson’s time in Las Vegas ends

The Raiders drafted defensive end Tyree Wilson with the seventh overall pick in 2023, envisioning that he and Maxx Crosby would form a destructive pass-rush combination. It didn’t work out that way. Wilson had just 12 sacks over three seasons. Crosby had 32 over the same span. And now, Wilson’s gone. The Raiders packaged him in a trade with New Orleans, also sending a seventh-round pick in exchange for the Saints’ fifth-round selection, which turned into Johnson. “It was just an opportunity for a fresh start, a fresh start for him, a fresh start for us,” Hunt said.

Multiple threats create flexibility

Stukes and Zuhn are capable of playing more than one position. Stukes played safety and cornerback at Arizona. Zuhn was the left tackle at Texas A&M, but also started two games at center last season. “Versatility is awesome, but wherever they were put, they were OK with and they proved themselves to be pretty good football players,” Spytek said.

Players also stand out in the classroom

Washington is pursuing a master's degree that he expects to get next spring. His mother has a doctorate in psychology and his father is an investigator. Stukes had a 4.0 grade-point average in high school, graduated two years ago from Arizona and was an academic All-Big 12 Conference selection. “We used to have a coach that said, ‘The days of the dumb jock are over,’ and it’s very true,” Stukes said. “You have to be smart to play high-level football. There’s a lot of moving parts. There’s a lot of things going on, and if you want to be able to keep up and adjust in real time, you got to have the brain processing power to do so, especially playing safety. You’re the quarterback of the defense.” \\\_ AP NFL: