Sportsbook giving bettors a chance to win big on a redemption story by former Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy
The odds are stacked against former Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy for one of the NFL’s most distinguished awards, but he’s stepping into a potentially favorable situation.
Former Tennessee Vols CB Jermod McCoy found himself one of the top stories of the NFL Draft for the wrong reason last weekend. The standout defender went from a projected high-to-middle first round pick to falling all the way out of the draft’s first two days altogether.
The Las Vegas Raiders finally ended his slide at the earliest moment on Day 3, as they selected him with the first pick in the fourth round (No. 101 overall).
Without question, the potential value there for Vegas is extreme. Getting a first-round pick in the fourth round is one that could pay off in a big way for the silver and black if McCoy is able to stay on the field.
Likewise, it could be a big pay off for bettors who choose to take a chance on a strong rookie year from the former Vol with the Raiders. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, McCoy is at 40-1 odds, or +4000, to win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
DraftKings Sportsbook gives Jermod McCoy +4000 odds to win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2026
Naturally, the battle is an uphill one for McCoy. He has to prove that his knee can hold up, which is something that gave some teams enough concern to take them off their draft boards entirely. If he needs another surgery to replace the bone plug in his knee, then he very well could be out for an extended period for recovery.
It also feels like, when the top picks deliver in their rookie years, they tend to get the benefit of the doubt more than those below them. Or perhaps better said is the benefit of the vote. Thus, it’s no surprise why the Jets’ David Bailey and the Bucs’ Rueben Bain, Jr. are the top odds getters for the award at the moment.
But McCoy will get his chance to prove to the rest of the league that they made a mistake passing on him as often as they did in the draft. And if that knee can hold up, he has the talent to make many people in Vegas happy — both Raiders executives and perhaps bettors.
