Seemingly every year, there’s an NFL draft prospect with the talent to go in the first round that slips well into the event for various reasons. This year, it was former Tennessee football cornerback Jermod McCoy. His fall was the result of not his ACL tear last winter, but the fallout of it, which could result in another surgery.
However, with the first pick of the fourth round on Saturday, the Las Vegas Raiders selected McCoy. Despite the long-term concerns, his elite 2024 tape was too much to allow him to slip any further.
After being selected, McCoy met with the Raiders media to discuss the pick and what the plan is for his knee. He said he’s open to doing whatever the franchise wants him to do, though the doctors who performed his surgery tell him he’s good to go.
“All my doctors that did my surgery, they told me I’m good,” McCoy said. “I feel like I’m good, but I mean, if there’s something that they’re wanting me to do for the longevity of my career, I’m willing to do that. I’m going to listen to the team, because I feel like they have my best interest for me. So, honestly, just whatever the team’s plan for me is, I’m going to do that.”
Top CB prospect Jermod McCoy tells reporters “I feel good” and is willing to do whatever the #Raiders want for his degenerative knee issue, including another surgery.
“All my doctors that did my surgery, they told me I’m good. I feel like I’m good, but I mean, but if there’s… pic.twitter.com/vNg09r7Fok
Advertisement— Nick Walters (@nickwalt) April 25, 2026
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NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero gave the rundown on what exactly the issue with McCoy’s knee is heading into the draft. He clarified it’s not the ACL recovery that held him out for the 2025 season. It’s, instead, a bone plug that was used to fix a cartilage defect.
“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.
