2026 NFL Draft Day 3 Review: McCoy Slide Ends, Nussmeier Waits, Mr. Irrelevant Lands

Day 3 of the NFL Draft is not supposed to be clean. It is medical risk, backup plans, special teams value, old scouting convictions, and teams hoping they see something the rest of the league missed.

The final day of the 2026 NFL Draft had all of that. Jermod McCoy finally came off the board at the start of Round 4. Garrett Nussmeier waited until the very end before Kansas City took him. Red Murdock became Mr. Irrelevant. And in between, teams filled out depth charts with players who may not trend today but could matter a lot by November.

The Day Started With Jermod McCoy

The first real story of Day 3 was Jermod McCoy. He had the talent profile to go much earlier, but medical concerns pushed him into Saturday. The Raiders stopped the slide at the top of Round 4.

That is exactly what Day 3 is for. The risk is obvious. The reward is also obvious. If McCoy gets healthy and looks like the player scouts liked before the medical questions took over, Las Vegas may have found one of the best values of the weekend.

This is not a normal fourth-round pick. It is a bet on patience, medical trust, and upside.

The Quarterback Wait Got Awkward

Quarterbacks always become bigger stories than their draft slots. Garrett Nussmeier is the best example from Saturday. He waited deep into the draft before the Kansas City Chiefs took him late.

That wait does not mean he cannot play. It means teams did not see him as a Day 1 or Day 2 answer. Kansas City is a good landing spot for a late quarterback because there is no pressure to rush anything. He can learn, compete, and try to turn the wait into a career.

There were other quarterback notes too. Taylen Green went to Cleveland, and Cole Payton landed with Philadelphia. Those are developmental picks, not immediate plans. But every team knows the same truth: if a late quarterback becomes even a useful backup, the pick pays off.

Mr. Irrelevant: Red Murdock to Denver

The final pick of the draft went to the Denver Broncos, who selected Red Murdock, a linebacker from Buffalo, at No. 257.

The title is fun, but it is not meaningless. The NFL has learned that Mr. Irrelevant can still become a real player. Brock Purdy changed how fans think about the final pick. Murdock does not need to become Purdy. He just needs to make special teams, tackle well, and give Denver a reason to keep developing him.

That is the beauty of the last pick. The expectations are low, but the opportunity is real.

Day 3 Picks That Stood Out

Jermod McCoy, Raiders

McCoy is the name everyone will remember from the start of the day. The medical risk is why he slid. The talent is why the pick still makes sense. Las Vegas took the kind of swing that can make a Day 3 class look smart later.

Mike Washington Jr., Cardinals

Running backs often slide into value territory on Day 3, and Mike Washington Jr. fits that idea. Arizona already made the loud running back move with Jeremiyah Love in Round 1, but adding another back gives the room more depth and keeps the offense flexible.

Brenen Thompson, Chargers

The Chargers added Brenen Thompson, a speed option who gives Justin Herbert another vertical piece. Day 3 receivers usually need a clear path to a role. Thompson has one: run, stretch, and make defenses respect the deep ball.

Connor Lew, Bengals

The Bengals taking Connor Lew made sense because protecting Joe Burrow is always priority one. Late offensive linemen are rarely finished products, but centers and guards who can compete quickly are valuable.

Bryce Lance, Saints

Bryce Lance, the brother of Trey Lance, gives New Orleans a good story and a developmental wide receiver. That kind of pick brings attention, but the job is simple: earn a roster role on special teams and keep growing as a receiver.

Garrett Nussmeier, Chiefs

Nussmeier's fall became one of the day's biggest conversations. Kansas City is the right kind of place for a late quarterback. He will not have to save anyone right away, and that matters.

Teams That Helped Themselves

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders were already the story of the draft after taking Fernando Mendoza at No. 1. On Day 3, they added a high-upside corner in McCoy and kept filling out the roster. That is a smart way to use the final day after making the franchise quarterback pick.

Cleveland Browns

Cleveland kept adding practical pieces. After strong Day 2 work, the Browns added another quarterback in Taylen Green and continued attacking depth. The Browns did not need every pick to be flashy. They needed volume and competition.

Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City always feels comfortable taking swings late. Garrett Nussmeier is the headline because of the name and the wait, but the Chiefs also kept adding skill and depth. Late-round picks can survive in Kansas City because the roster does not need them to play before they are ready.

Denver Broncos

Denver ended the draft with Murdock, but the Broncos also worked the late rounds for depth. Mr. Irrelevant gives the class a fun final note, and Murdock has the kind of tackling background that can translate to special teams.

What Day 3 Really Means

Most of these players will not become stars. That is the truth of Saturday. But good teams do not need five stars from Day 3. They need a swing corner to get healthy, a lineman to become a sixth man, a receiver to win a return job, a linebacker to run down kicks, or a backup quarterback to become trustworthy.

That is why Day 3 matters. It is not about winning the news cycle. It is about finding the players who can survive training camp, help on special teams, and slowly force coaches to trust them.

The 2026 draft ended with Red Murdock holding the Mr. Irrelevant title. The better question is the same one for every player taken Saturday: who will make that title, that slide, or that wait look silly three years from now?

*Sources: Day 3 results and storylines cross-checked against Yahoo Sports' 2026 NFL Draft live results, Yahoo Sports' full Rounds 1-7 results, CBS Sports' Day 3 winners and losers, and Yahoo Sports' Mr. Irrelevant report. This article is editorial analysis only.*