The Las Vegas Raiders knocked it out of the park on Night 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft. They only had one selection, but they made the most of it, securing a franchise quarterback and neglecting to move back into the opening round, even though John Spytek admitted that he considered it.
Now, the Raiders are sitting pretty near the top of Round 2, with 10 or so prospects worthy of a selection and only three teams picking ahead of them. Las Vegas has the luxury of going best player available and filling a need with practically anyone in this range.
Spytek could even trade back from No. 36 and get more darts to throw in the later rounds, which every fan knows he wants to do. But no matter what the Raiders' front office decides, they should steer clear of these three incredibly talented players who, unfortunately, have some baggage.
They are shiny, but potentially dangerous objects.
Las Vegas Raiders should steer clear of several players on Day 2
Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
McCoy had the potential to be the No. 1 cornerback off the board in this year's class. But there's a reason he's available with a second-round pick. McCoy tore his ACL in January of 2025 and missed the entire 2024 season at Tennessee. He had a strong Pro Day, but his long-term prognosis is scary.
Rumors of a degenerative issue with McCoy will surely make Raider Nation shudder. If he ends up being healthy, this could be an all-time draft steal. But is Las Vegas' roster currently in a position where it can afford to take that gamble?
Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
Terrell, like McCoy, was widely considered to be a first-round pick. His ability on the field speaks for itself, and he shares a bloodline with one of the NFL's best cornerbacks: His brother, AJ. But Terrell also has some injury concerns, even if they are just somewhat minor in the pre-draft process.
He played in every game at Clemson, and we're just talking about a few minor hamstring tweaks. But several other cornerbacks without even minor red flags, like Colton Hood, Brandon Cisse and Treydan Stukes, are set to be available in the same range. They are a safer bet, at least optics-wise.
Zion Young, DE, Missouri
Edge rusher isn't even one of the biggest needs for the Raiders, at least not in the short-term. But the long-term outlook for the room is shaky beyond Maxx Crosby and Kwity Paye, who are the only two players at the position still under contract for 2027. And Young is a tremendous and versatile player.
But he has a handful of off-the-field concerns that the Raiders would need to seriously vet before feeling comfortable burning a second-round pick on him. Yes, people make mistakes, but Spytek also noted that he rarely misses on players because of talent; it is always because of character.