Packers may benefit from uncertain draft situation as perfect storm emerges to land blue chip talent at a premium position
Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy has long-term concerns over his knee situation, and that scenario may force one of the top defensive prospects of the class to fall.
Jermod McCoy is the second cornerback on the consensus big board, just after Mansoor Delane. The 15th overall prospect on the list, there should be no way he would be available late in the second round. Well, at least not until his latest injury update.
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, McCoy may need another surgery on his knee to replace a bone plug used to repair a cartilage defect. It’s not connected to the ACL tear, which forced him to miss the entire 2025 college football season at Tennessee.
Viability for the Packers
Cornerback is the most pressing need for the Green Bay Packers. Getting a player of McCoy’s caliber would be massive for the future of the roster. The concerns over his injury situation are real, but they’re much more palatable with the 52nd overall pick than they would be in the first round.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer brought a comparison that could be particularly enticing for the Packers.
“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,” Breer wrote. “It’s more centered on his longevity, making his case similar to — maybe a little worse than — Will Johnson’s last year.”
In 2025, Will Johnson was the 13th overall prospect (and the best cornerback on the class outside of Travis Hunter). But he ended up being taken only in the middle of the second round, when the Arizona Cardinals took him with the 47th overall pick.
As a rookie, Johnson had the good and the bad. He played at a high level and was named to the All-Rookie Team, but did suffer a new knee injury late in the year. Despite the concerns, though, the Cardinals are certainly happy with their decisions.
Curiously enough, the Cardinals’ head coach a year ago was Jonathan Gannon, who’s now the Packers’ defensive coordinator. There is a track record of taking advantage of a similar situation.
Risk and reward
There absolutely is risk in a situation like this, especially because the Packers don’t have a first-round pick. Therefore, the 52th pick has more value to Green Bay than it normally would. However, without a first in each of the next two drafts, the Packers may reasonably have more incentive to chase a high-ceiling player — and that naturally brings some level of risk in the second round.
Jermod McCoy is a very Packers-y prospect. He’s only 20 years old, 6-1, 188 pounds, and has a 9.67 Relative Athletic Score. His upside is undeniable, and the Packers are in a position where taking this type of risk for this type of upside is tempting. Even if McCoy can’t eventually be a 10-year player in the NFL.