ESPN leaves no doubt on how they feel about the Raiders’ decision to draft Tennessee Vols cornerback Jermod McCoy
Former Tennessee Volunteers cornerback Jermod McCoy fell in the 2026 NFL Draft due to concerns about his surgically repaired knee. The Las Vegas Raiders selected McCoy in the fourth round of the draft.
Former Tennessee Vols cornerback Jermod McCoy was expected to be a top 15 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
McCoy, however, fell to Day 3 of the draft due to concerns that he could require a second surgery on his knee (McCoy missed the 2025 season at Tennessee with a torn ACL).
The Las Vegas Raiders stopped McCoy’s freefall in the draft by selecting the former Vol in the fourth round (No. 101 overall).
ESPN is a big fan of the Raiders drafting Jermod McCoy in the fourth round
ESPN’s Matt Miller ranked the 100 best picks in the draft and he has the Raiders’ selection of McCoy at No. 2 on his list.
“There’s always a really good player who slips due to injury,” wrote Miller. “Ranked as my No. 10 overall prospect, McCoy fell to No. 101 based on concerns that a surgical procedure he had done following a January 2025 ACL tear might need to be redone. But McCoy was cleared to work out at Tennessee’s pro day and excelled with a 40-yard dash time of 4.38 seconds.
“Las Vegas aggressively attacked its secondary needs, but getting McCoy here could be the weekend’s biggest steal if he’s healthy. It was a smart bet to make and shows that general manager John Spytek is correctly thinking about risk, value and potential.”
McCoy addressed the concerns about his knee after getting selected by the Raiders.
The former Vol told reporters that his doctors say he’s “good”.
“All of my doctors that did my surgery told me I’m good,” said McCoy. “But if there’s something [the Raiders] want me to do for the longevity of my career, I’m willing to do that because I feel like they have my best interest. So honestly, just whatever the team’s plan for me is, I’m gonna do that.”
“I was prepared for whatever, but I was [expected] to go higher,” added McCoy. “I had a good pro day, ran some good times and did some good things.
“It’s not in my control, and I’m just truly blessed that the team took me anyway, because it’s an achievement to get here in the first place.”
If McCoy stays healthy, he could easily prove to be the best pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.