Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy is one of the biggest X-factors in the 2026 draft class.
His tape from 2023 and 2024 show a first-round cornerback with sticky, physical coverage and plenty of ball production (16 passes defended, six interceptions). But a torn ACL in January 2025 sidelined him for his third season, depriving scouts of another year of film to evaluate. That would be especially important after McCoy’s breakout 2024, as opposing teams would have been able to offer new challenges in 2025.
McCoy only participated at the bench press at the Combine, preferring to wait until his pro day for the rest of his testing. That seemed to pay off, as a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and strong vertical and broad jumps boosted his stock with a month until the draft. Not only did he show that he was fully recovered from his ACL tear, but his numbers cemented assessments of his high-end athleticism and seemed to lock him into a first-round pick.
However, teams have medically red-flagged the 20-year-old for a potentially degenerative knee condition, per EssentiallySports’ Tony Pauline. This could take him off some boards entirely, while others may drop his grade by a half or full round. This could result in a similar fall to Will Johnson‘s in 2025, when the projected first-rounder was not selected until the third round.
However, as Pauline notes, “medical opinions differ team by team since there is no central body to govern a physical.” Some clubs are willing to tolerate more injury risk than others, especially if they see McCoy as a potential lockdown cornerback
Well yeah, you’d think a guy not working out for that long after an injury made him miss the whole past season would red flag him for some teams. Love his upside, but if the price is a top 20 pick, I let someone else take the chance, knowing full well he could end up a steal.
Well this guy will squarely be on the Lions radar. They always target oft injured players.lol
Worth the risk.
A true lock down corner is hard to find. Rams at 13 to pair him with McDuffie could yield one of the best secondaries in the league
Antonio Cromartie also came off the board late to the chargers many years ago due to an acl
Will Johnson was actually a 2nd rd pick.
Knees are fickle. As a team I wouldn’t bother with him before the 7th round. The fact he didn’t play a year to show he’s healthy is problematic. I’d be worried about another Marcus Lattimore situation.
Looks like Howie pick, take advantage of a situation and draft a guy way lower than he should go. Go Birds
Someone wraps a high performance car around a tree then tries to sell it to you saying it will just need a bit of work to be as good as new. Just walk away.
This scares the hell outta me b/c this is Brad Holmes wheelhouse! Loves him some injured prospects who have dropped in the draft! And he SUCKS at this! Levi Onzureka, Josh Pachscal, Hendon Hooker, etc. Hard pass!