Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy has certainly been one of the more debated players ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. The former Vol did not participate in the NFL Combine beyond the bench press after suffering a torn ACL in January 2025 that ultimately cost him the season.

However, after participating at Tennessee’s Pro Day last month, McCoy has been projected by many draft pundits as being firmly in the first round and perhaps even the first cornerback taken in recent mock drafts.

That said, one notable NFL insider says that reality could be a far different situation for McCoy based on his intel.

NFL reporter Albert Breer says Jermod McCoy’s knee remains a major concern for every team he’s talked to

“If there’s one player who might tumble, I think it’s Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy,” Breer wrote. “And I feel terrible for him, because this one is beyond his control—and I said a week ago I think he has a chance to go in the top 10. Since then, every team I’ve talked to—every last one of them—has said that the knee he tore up in January 2025 remains a major concern.”

That’s a bit of an eye opener — at least as far as every team Breer talked to saying that — as McCoy seemed to show no limitations on his speed and movement during Tennessee’s Pro Day last month. The former Vol blazed a 4.37 40-yard dash time and showed off explosiveness with a 38-inch vertical jump and a 10 foot, 7 inch broad jump.

However, longer-term injury concerns have dropped previous players who were projected by many to be first round picks, and that was the case last year with Michigan CB Will Johnson, as Breer points out.

Considered a firm first round pick during the pre-draft process, Johnson slid all the way to pick No. 47 in the second round before his name was called.

Breer says concerns about McCoy’s longevity could cause a slide like Michigan’s Will Johnson in 2025

“Without getting into all the ins and outs of the medicals, the question isn’t whether he’ll be ready to go when he joins his new team next week. It’s more centered on his longevity, making his case similar to—maybe a little worse than—Will Johnson’s last year,” Breer wrote.

“A two-time All-American at Michigan and the Defensive MVP of the CFP title game for the Wolverines in 2023, Johnson was widely seen as a lock to go in the top half of the first round, even with some concern over his top-end speed, coming out of the 2024 college season. But when teams got a closer look at his medicals, the wear on his knee raised questions over how long he’d last as a pro. He wound up falling all the way to the middle of the second round, where the Cardinals snapped him up with the 47th pick.

“He quickly became a starter in Arizona, but also missed five games due to injury.”

Most draft pundits have indicated McCoy has the stuff of a lockdown CB1 at the NFL level and with a strong argument to be the top cornerback in the draft.

As such, Breer acknowledged that some might be willing to take a chance on him being that type of difference maker on a first contract. I.e., a short-term type of player. That might make sense for someone who’s in win-now mode, or perhaps a short reload away from seriously competing for a Super Bowl.

“That’s why I’d say right now a best-case scenario for him would be that a playoff team sees a potential No. 1 corner, even if he doesn’t make it to a second contract, as a better value than what’s available at the end of the first round,” Breer added. “I’d also say it’s possible he’ll fall out of the first round like Johnson did a year ago. Of course, it takes just one team to see this whole thing a little differently—and for this guy’s sake, you’d hope someone does.”

And, to be clear, there are teams in that position in the first round, particularly the Kansas City Chiefs, who hold picks No. 9 and 29. If he slides all the way down to the end of the first round, he could be a steal for a Chiefs team that is clearly talented enough to bounce back quickly after a disappointing 2025 season. They also happen to have a major need at cornerback.

We’ll find out soon enough how things to for McCoy, with the draft set to begin on Thursday.