NFL scout predicts landing spot for Jermod McCoy, and it would be to replace a former Tennessee star
The VFL hasn’t been a common prediction for one NFC South team, but one NFL scout thinks it would be the perfect landing spot for him.
Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy has been a “polarizing” prospect among draft pundits. After missing the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL, he blazed at his Pro Day last month, posting a sub-4.40 40-yard dash and looking nimble on his feet.
Even so, with a year off of football, some teams may be a bit hesitant to pull the trigger on McCoy super high in the draft.
However, one AFC South scout was not. ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller had NFL scouting department members do a mock draft of the top 10, and McCoy found himself selected at No. 8 overall by the New Orleans Saints.
AFC South scout projects Tennessee Jermod McCoy to New Orleans Saints at pick No. 8
“The Saints’ remaining top three needs are edge rusher, wide receiver and cornerback, and New Orleans comes on the clock with talented players available at each position,” Miller wrote. “The job of making this pick fell to a second AFC South area scout, who didn’t hesitate to take McCoy.
“‘Rarely do you find true blue-chip cornerbacks, and when one falls to you, it’s an easy decision to take them off the board’, Miller quoted the scout as saying. ‘So I’ll take McCoy with the belief that his knee is good long term and that he’ll be back to the player we saw in 2024, when he was the best cornerback in the nation.’
“McCoy tore his ACL during a training activity in January 2025 and missed his entire junior season while rehabbing. McCoy didn’t participate at the combine but worked out at his pro day, where he impressed with a 4.39-second time in the 40-yard dash. The 20-year-old cornerback has lockdown qualities and drew a comparison to Christian Gonzalez in my final report.”
Former Tennessee CB Alontae Taylor anchored the Saints’ secondary through the end of the 2025 season, when he became an undrafted free agent. He signed this offseason with the Tennessee Titans, leaving a significant hole in the Saints’ secondary.
As such, while other positions, such as edge rusher and wide receiver, have dominated mock drafts for the Saints, finding a strong CB1 should be in the cards for New Orleans during the draft as well.
So, for those watching next week to see when some former Vols will come off the board, it could indeed be a case of one Tennessee star cornerback replacing another.
The 2026 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 23 in Pittsburgh.