Published Apr 26, 2025
UCLA trio selected in later rounds of NFL draft
Tracy McDannald  •  BruinBlitz
Staff Writer
Twitter
@Tracy_McDannald

Three more former UCLA standouts heard their name called Saturday on the third and final day of the NFL draft.

Linebacker Kain Medrano was selected in the sixth round and was the 205th overall pick by the Washington Commanders. The destination will reunite Medrano with ex-UCLA inside linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr.

In the seventh and final round, defensive tackle Jay Toia went from Medrano’s former teammate to new NFC East division rival. He was drafted 217th overall by the Dallas Cowboys.

Later in the round, tight end Moliki Matavao went to the New Orleans Saints with the 248th overall pick.

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Medrano’s athleticism and versatility were key in making the transition from recruited wide receiver to linebacker. He followed up an all-Pac-12 honorable mention selection in 2023 with an all-Big Ten third-team honor in the Bruins’ transition to a new conference.

Medrano started 26 of 50 games over six seasons, racking up 72 tackles — 11 for a loss — with three forced fumbles and two interceptions in his final year.

Toia started 36 of 50 games over his four years. The last two years, in particular, showed Toia’s value beyond his numbers.

As the Bruins put together back-to-back strong seasons on defense, it was Toia who often ate up space and commanded double teams. The linebackers and edge rushers benefited from Toia’s presence, as the likes of Laiatu Latu, Carson Schwesinger and Oluwafemi Oladejo all became early-round draft picks over the last two years.

Toia was an all-conference honorable mention selection after producing 25 tackles and three quarterback hurries last season. His play against the run helped UCLA’s defense rank sixth nationally and third in the Big Ten in yards allowed per game (96.2 yards).

Matavao spent his final two years at UCLA after transferring from Oregon in 2023. He started 14 of 24 games for the Bruins.

Matavao had his most productive season in Westwood last year, making 41 of his 55 catches for 506 of his 789 yards and collecting half of his four touchdowns.

In all, five UCLA products were drafted including Schwesinger and Oladejo’s second-round selections Friday night.