NFL Draft’s biggest faller: Why Jermod McCoy’s injury concerns sent CB to Day 3 before landing with Raiders
Injury questions clouded the elite CB, but his fall came to an end when Las Vegas selected him with the first pick of Day 3
By
Jared Dubin
Apr 25, 2026
at
12:27 pm ET
•
1 min read
Imagn Images
Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy was considered one of the top prospects at his position in the 2026 NFL Draft class. He was the top corner and No. 6 overall prospect on CBS Sports draft analyst Mike Renner’s big board, for example. And yet, after three rounds, McCoy was still available heading into Day 3 before the Las Vegas Raiders traded up and made him the first pick of the fourth round, No. 101 overall.
This happened at least in part because of McCoy’s injury red flags. He suffered a torn ACL at the end of the 2024 college football season and did not play at all in 2025. He also did not participate in the NFL Scouting Combine, instead only working out and going through drills for teams in the weeks before the draft.
The problem is he could be headed for another knee surgery. McCoy’s ACL itself is reportedly in good shape, but there’s concern about a bone plug that was used to repair a cartilage defect in his knee, per NFL Media. Some doctors believe he needs another surgery, which would require an “extensive” recovery.
According to Yahoo! Sports, some teams are taking the position that if the next surgery — which could knock McCoy out for his entire rookie season — is not successful, it could effectively end his career. The surgery would reportedly involve taking a piece of bone and cartilage from elsewhere in the knee and transporting it to try and fix the defect.
That’s how a player with clear first-round tape — one some considered the best at his position in this class — falls to Day 3 and becomes the 12th player taken at his position. If McCoy proves healthy, though, it’s possible the Raiders landed a steal and he outperforms his draft slot because the talent level is so high. If he can get and stay on the field, he’ll likely be a difference maker.
