Anyone familiarized with the Dallas Cowboys roster knows the team is in need for cornerbacks. Multiple of them. And with two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, you can expect them to target the position in April.

But on Thursday, the Cowboys got some underwhelming out of the combine in Indianapolis that makes the prospect of picking one of this year’s top cornerbacks a little bit more daunting.

Top CB prospect sits out workouts

Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy revealed Thursday he will not be participating in drills at the NFL Scouting Combine. And while many players choose not to do to take care of their draft stock, McCoy is believed to be taking care of his health after tearing his ACL in January of 2025.

The good news? McCoy told reporters at the combine that he “can do everything” and that he will do so at Tennessee’s Pro Day.

The bad news? It’s been over a year since McCoy suffered his ACL injury and we have yet to see any activity from him. This was a perfect opportunity to secure his spot as CB1 of this year’s class. Him not participating doesn’t me he’s still hurt, but it does little to dispel the question marks.

That makes the unquestionable first-round talent, questionable. Especially for a team like the Cowboys.

Cowboys need more certainty to target McCoy

Hopefully, the Cowboys—who formally met with McCoy in Indianapolis—get to see positive developments from the former Vol before the draft. After all, he’s an NFL-ready cornerback in every sense except, for now, health.

But my question following the latest development is: Can the Cowboys take yet another risk at CB?

Last year, they drafted Shavon Revel Jr. in the third round in the hopes his rehab went well. Now, with Revel Jr.’s rookie year behind him, he’s a huge unknown for the team. Perhaps he will be better with one full offseason under his belt, but the Cowboys can’t bet on it.

Can they make a similar gamble on McCoy, who is expected to be healthy earlier than Revel Jr. was last year? I reached out to Rob Gregson, one of our top NFL Draft experts at A to Z Sports, for his insight. And according to him, he may still be worth the pick.

McCoy is still a top prospect

Gregson: “To see McCoy not participate is a bit of bummer because his tape shows a highly refined athlete that would dominate the 40-yard dash and his jumps. Because he missed all of 2025, there will be questions about his recovery process given that it’s now almost March and he’s still unable to participate.

“Here’s the thing though, I’m not sure even if McCoy was fully healthy, that he would test. His tape was so dominant that you can stamp him as top half of the first-round pick.

“Now, the real question is: What do the medicals look like? If those are clean, there’s a good shot he doesn’t get out of the top 10. If not, he could be one of the biggest fallers on draft night.”

Perhaps McCoy’s medicals and Pro Day change it all. But until then, drafting him at No. 12 or even No. 20 feels daunting for a Cowboys defense that urgently needs certainty.

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