Heading into the week, the expectation was that Tennessee football star cornerback Jermod McCoy would be selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. In the event he did fall, it seemed extremely unlikely he wouldn’t be one of the first players taken in the second round.
However, the reality is he’s yet to hear his name called through three rounds. With the fourth round set to begin at noon ET on Saturday, he’s again projected to be taken early, but there’s still a chance he could further slip.
Why is McCoy falling so much, though? After not playing this past season to recover from his ACL tear, he put together a strong Pro Day that seemingly silenced skeptics about the health of his knee. However, it’s not his ACL that is worrying teams. It’s the potential for another surgery.
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“For clarity, let’s talk about what this is and what this isn’t,” Pelissero said on the NFL’s GMFB show. “It’s not the ACL that he had reconstructed. That graft has taken and the knee looks good in terms of the ACL itself. The concern is about a bone plug that was used to fix a cartilage defect. There is concern among at least some NFL team doctors that he is going to undergo, or need to undergo, a second surgery to replace that bone plug, which would be an extended type of recovery.”
In his first year with UT in 2024, McCoy managed 44 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. He came up with four interceptions, as well, including a one-handed snag against Ryan Williams of Alabama and a circus catch in the end zone at Vanderbilt.
Prior to that sophomore season with the Vols, the underrated recruit was a standout true freshman cornerback for Oregon State. He is from Whitehouse, Texas, the same area as Patrick Mahomes.
