Three more UCLA football players heard their names called in the NFL draft, which concluded Saturday: Kain Medrano, Jay Toia and Moliki Matavao.
Kain Medrano, a linebacker, will reunite with former Bruins linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. after being chosen by the Washington Commanders with the 29th pick in the sixth round (205th overall).
Norton coached the linebackers at UCLA for the 2022 and 2023 seasons and moved on to lead the position group for the Commanders in 2024.
“We just had a really special connection just kind of off the get and it’s just been a really good bond,” Medrano told reporters. “He’s a mentor to me, he’s taught me a lot about football and the linebacker position and a lot of my game and knowledge gets credited to him.”
@haleymsawyer UCLA linebacker Kain Medrano runs through position drills at an NFL Pro Day at Oaks Christian School on Wednesday morning. #sports #reporter #journalism #sportsreporter #ucla #football #collegefootball #nfldraft #nfl
The 6-foot-3, 222-pound Medrano clocked the fastest 40-yard dash time, at 4.46 seconds, out of all linebackers at the NFL combine and also played in the East-West Shrine Bowl. He had 72 total tackles and 11 tackles for loss as part of a Bruins defense that gave up just 96.2 rushing yards per game.
“It’s super exciting to add what I can do to the team and just make the team better in any possible way that I can,” Medrano said. “And that’s what I mostly am excited about, to get out there and work.”
Jay Toia was picked in the seventh round by the Dallas Cowboys as the first pick of the round and 217th overall.
The 6-foot-2, 342-pound defensive tackle was a critical part of UCLA’s defensive line, taking on multiple blockers at a time to free up linebackers like Medrano to make plays. Toia started in all 12 games and ended the season with 25 tackles.
Matavao was also selected in the seventh round. The New Orleans Saints drafted the 6-foot-6, 260-pound tight end with the 32nd pick in the round (248th overall).
He led UCLA in receptions with 41 for 506 receiving yards last season and is the first UCLA tight end since Greg Dulcich to be drafted.
“There’s a lot of guys (in this draft class) that have the opportunity to be starting contributors for us and good players for hopefully a long time,” Saints GM Mickey Loomis said. “But it’s up to them and it’s up to us to help them grow into that and give them the opportunity.”
UCLA also had two players selected on the second day of the draft in linebacker Carson Schwesinger and edge rusher Oluwafemi Oladejo.