KM #56

Kain Medrano

Linebacker · UCLA

A six-year UCLA captain who ran the fastest 40 of any linebacker at his combine and turned that speed into a Commanders roster spot.

Kain Medrano spent parts of six seasons in Westwood before Washington took a flier on him in the sixth round of the 2025 draft. He is now working to carve out a role on defense and special teams as a rookie linebacker on a Commanders roster building around its young core.

★ Third Team All-Big Ten (2024)

★ UCLA team captain, 2024

★ Fastest 40-yard dash among linebackers at the 2025 NFL Combine (4.46 seconds)

★ Sixth-round pick, No. 205 overall, 2025 NFL Draft

Path to the league

Medrano played six seasons at UCLA from 2019 to 2024, growing into a starting role in 2023 before serving as a team captain in his final year. The Commanders drafted him with the 205th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he stood out at the combine by posting the fastest 40-yard dash among all linebackers at 4.46 seconds.

Career highlights

Across his UCLA career, Medrano racked up 196 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three interceptions and five forced fumbles. He earned Third Team All-Big Ten honors in 2024 after a career-high 72 tackles, and he delivered a signature moment with a 38-yard pick-six against Nebraska that November.

2025 season recap

Medrano made the Commanders' active roster as a rookie and appeared in 9 games, recording 5 tackles and a fumble recovery. His workload skewed toward special teams as he adjusts to the speed of the NFL game, with the Pueblo, Colorado native still working to earn a bigger defensive share.