The Lions Should Draft This Guy: The Lions have been linked to Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy

McCoy is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL Draft, but there are concerns about his knee

Mike Payton — Detroit Lions Beat Writer
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Sep 21, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Jermod McCoy (3) reacts after making an interception during the first quarter against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

We’re getting closer and closer to the 2026 NFL Draft for the Detroit Lions. With that in mind, we’re starting our new series called The Lions Should Draft This Guy. We’re going to profile a bunch of players we feel the Lions would love, and talk about their positives and negatives. Follow along! Here’s who we’ve covered so far:

The Positives Of Jermod McCoy

Let’s start here. NFL Network draft insider Daniel Jeremiah recently linked McCoy to the Lions. McCoy is expected to go high in the draft. Like 17th overall high.

What the Lions would get is one of the best cornerbacks in the nation. We’re talking about a guy whose 87 grade made him the 11th highest graded cornerback. His 89.6 coverage grade was 10th. He had six pass breakups, four interceptions, and two defensive touchdowns. He allowed a passer rating of 53.6.

McCoy is also willing to get involved in the run game and make some stops. There’s a lot that makes McCoy fit with Detroit.

The Concerns

All of those stats and grades that I just laid out were from the 2024 season because he did not play in 2025. He tore his ACL in January 2025 training from home, and it cost him the entire season. So obviously, that is the prime concern.

What makes it even more concerning is that there are some concerns that his knee injury could be something that’s degenerative. He went and got a medical recheck. Which itself is a bit concerning.

Now, obviously, we don’t know how legitimate those concerns are or if they’re just teams blowing smoke trying to get him to fall. If McCoy does fall, then the Lions should be interested. If it’s at 17, they’d probably be better off looking past this one.

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