The Raiders Beat Four Teams to Darrell Luter

May 20, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jermod McCoy (28) practices during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Raiders Beat Four Teams to Darrell Luter

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Tyler Bischoff | Last updated Sep 1, 2026 11:57 AM ET

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The most coveted man on waivers was cornerback Darrell Luter. The 49ers waived Luter on Sunday in order to cut their roster down to 53 players. The Raiders, who owned the top spot on the waiver wire, swooped in and claimed Luter.

There were four other teams that placed a claim on Luter, according to Field Yates. The Titans, Dolphins, Cowboys and Colts all wanted to add Luter, but lost out to the Raiders. No other player was claimed by more than two teams.

Las Vegas had the top spot for waiver claims thanks to their 3-14 record in the NFL last season. The waiver order for the start of the season is determined by the previous draft order. Pete Carroll’s disastrous season helped out one more time.

The waiver order doesn’t reset after claiming a player, so Las Vegas could have added as many players as they wanted. But General manager John Spytek only chose to add one player on waivers yesterday.

Luter’s Role

The Raiders cut Decamerion Richardson to make room for Luter on the roster. Richardson was 1 of 5 outside cornerbacks on the roster, but he was battling rookies Hezekiah Masses and Jermod McCoy for snaps with the second teamers.

Luter will step in as the fifth outside corner. If the rookies struggle, he could find himself climbing the depth chart quickly.

But Luter is on the team primarily for his special teams acumen. The fourth-year corner has played more snaps on special teams than on defense in his NFL career. Head coach Klint Kubiak has stressed the need for his backups to play special teams, and Luter fits that bill.

Cornerback Production

The Raiders used four total 2026 draft picks on defensive backs. Two of those – Masses and McCoy – are playing outside corner. This will be one of the key positions to watch for the future.

Eric Stokes and Darien Porter are the expected starters at cornerback. Stokes was one of the Raiders’ few good defensive players last season and was rewarded with a three-year, $30 million contract. Porter is just 25 years old, but hasn’t shown he can play as an NFL starter.

Masses and McCoy provide a higher ceiling than Stokes and Porter. Masses led all of college football in passes defended last season. McCoy was considered a first-round pick until NFL teams were scared off by his knee injury.

Either rookie could be the best corner on the team this time next season. That is something the Raiders need to hit on. Improving the high-end talent will be critical in building a contender.

Luter doesn’t do that. He improves the floor of the Raiders. He gives Las Vegas a more experienced backup cornerback and should make the Raiders’ special teams much better in 2026.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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