The NFL Draft is never short on drama, but the ongoing saga of Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy has become one of the most talked-about stories as teams prepare for Day 3 in Pittsburgh. Once hailed as a likely first-round pick and considered by many analysts as the best cornerback in the 2026 NFL Draft class, McCoy’s unexpected slide through the first three rounds has left fans and experts alike scratching their heads. With the draft set to wrap up today, all eyes are on whether McCoy will finally hear his name called in Rounds 4-7.
McCoy’s credentials are hard to ignore. In 25 games for the Tennessee Volunteers, he recorded six interceptions and 16 pass breakups, putting together a 2024 season that ESPN’s Jeff Legwold described as “first-round worthy.” Legwold ranked McCoy as the 11th-best player in the entire draft, a testament to both his on-field production and his elite athleticism. Before his college football stardom, McCoy was a Texas state champion in the long jump and triple jump and also earned all-state honors in baseball. It’s rare to find a prospect with such a diverse athletic background, and scouts have raved about his fluidity in coverage, quick reaction time, and top-end speed.
Yet, as the dust settled on the first three rounds, McCoy remained undrafted. The reason? Injury concerns—specifically, a torn ACL suffered during a training session in January 2025 that forced him to miss the entire 2025 college season. While ACL injuries are no longer the career-enders they once were, McCoy’s case is complicated by reports of a cartilage defect in his knee that was repaired using a bone plug. According to NFL Media, some team doctors believe he may need another surgery before he ever takes a snap in the league, potentially requiring an “extensive” recovery period.
“(McCoy) clearly is a first-round talent but suffered a knee injury where he tore his ACL, underwent surgery. And obviously there are some teams that have some concerns about that knee right now,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported during the second round broadcast. “People think he can step in and impact a roster right away, but there are questions about his longevity in the league. For right now, we have a situation where he’s still on the board, one of the elite talents in this draft in a spot that nobody thought he would be.”
Despite these concerns, McCoy’s physical tools are undeniable. At Tennessee’s pro day in March, he ran a blistering 4.37-second 40-yard dash—a time that would have tied for the second-fastest among all cornerbacks at the NFL Scouting Combine. He impressed in individual drills, showing no visible limitations from his surgically repaired knee. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that McCoy “feels good and shows no issues in the surgically-repaired ACL,” but the apprehension lingers around the long-term health of his knee, specifically the bone plug and cartilage repair.
The uncertainty has led to a draft-day free fall reminiscent of last year’s slide by cornerback Will Johnson, who also dropped due to medical red flags. Mel Kiper Jr. summed up the situation during the third round, stating, “McCoy could’ve gone in the top 10 selections if not for recent injury concerns.” Ten cornerbacks have already been drafted ahead of McCoy, including his Tennessee teammate Colton Hood, who went 37th overall to the New York Giants. Other corners selected include Mansoor Delane (LSU), Chris Johnson (San Diego State), and D’Angelo Ponds (Indiana), among others.
League sources told The Athletic that some teams are concerned about McCoy’s short- and long-term health, with a belief that his cartilage issue could require surgery depending on what his future NFL team’s medical staff finds. An NFL defensive backs coach, quoted in Bruce Feldman’s latest draft intel, noted, “I’ve got a hard time in two phases. One: It sounds like the knee is worse than what people thought, and two, if it isn’t as bad as what people think, then he probably didn’t come back as soon as he could’ve. But from a traits standpoint, he’s what you’re hunting. He should be the top guy off the ’24 tape. He’s long, has ball skills, he plays with vision, he reacts and responds well with what he sees, he has good top-end speed, and it’s not just long speed. He has quickness and really good change-of-direction ability. He’s like a fish in water. He’s such a fluid mover.”
McCoy’s journey to this point has been anything but ordinary. After playing 12 games for Oregon State in 2023 and recording two interceptions, he transferred to Tennessee and immediately became a standout, earning All-America honors with 13 passes defended and four interceptions in 2024. His last game action came on December 21, 2024, against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff—a game that now feels like a lifetime ago as he waits for his NFL career to begin.
As of the start of Day 3, McCoy is the highest-ranked player still on Dane Brugler’s Top 300 board, sitting at No. 14 overall and No. 2 among cornerbacks. He’s also the only top-50 player from Brugler’s list still available, underscoring just how much his medical situation has overshadowed his on-field accomplishments.
Where could McCoy land? Several teams with pressing needs at cornerback are rumored to be considering him as a high-upside gamble. The Las Vegas Raiders, thin at the position despite drafting Treydan Stukes, could use McCoy’s talent infusion. The Cincinnati Bengals, seeking to bolster a shaky secondary, are another possible destination. The New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, and Minnesota Vikings all have depth issues at cornerback and could benefit from the kind of upside McCoy offers—if they’re comfortable with the medical risk.
Other notable prospects still available on Day 3 include UConn wide receiver Skyler Bell, Pitt linebacker Kyle Louis, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, South Carolina safety Jason Kilgore, Miami cornerback Keionte Scott, Auburn center Connor Lew, and Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. But none carries the same intrigue—or the same question marks—as McCoy.
With the final rounds of the draft underway, the league’s medical staffs will have the final say on McCoy’s fate. It’s a high-stakes gamble: if his knee holds up, a team could walk away with one of the biggest steals in recent draft memory. But with the specter of another surgery looming, it’s understandable why franchises are proceeding with caution.
As Day 3 continues, the football world waits to see if Jermod McCoy’s name will finally be called—or if his draft slide will become the defining story of 2026. Whatever happens, his journey is a reminder of just how unpredictable the NFL Draft can be.