After an agonizing two-day wait and 100 selections, Jermod McCoy's NFL Draft ordeal finally concluded on Saturday. The 6-foot-1, 188-pound cornerback from Tennessee, once projected as a top-20 pick and harboring hopes of a top-10 selection, saw his name go uncalled through the first two days. The Las Vegas Raiders ended his misery by selecting him with the first pick of the third and final day, at number 101 overall.
Tom Brady's Raiders had already made headlines by picking Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick, along with Treydan Stukes, Keryon Crawford, and Trey Zuhn III. McCoy's remarkable slide is widely attributed to injury concerns, as he missed the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL.
ESPN had ranked McCoy as the second-best player at his position, yet by the end of the third round, 11 cornerbacks had been chosen ahead of him. Compounding the frustration, ESPN's live coverage repeatedly flashed his name as the 'best available player' as teams passed him over.
McCoy began his career as a wide receiver in high school before transitioning to cornerback, where he became one of the top defensive backs in the nation at Tennessee during the 2024 season. An impressive sub-4.4-second 40-yard dash at his pro day alleviated some injury fears, but it was not enough to convince teams of his full recovery.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, some teams expressed concerns that a bone plug used to address a cartilage issue in McCoy's knee might need replacement, potentially requiring further surgery. McCoy last played a snap in December 2024, nearly 500 days ago.
In Thursday's first round, Mansoor Delane became the first cornerback selected, going to the Chiefs after a trade-up. San Diego State's Chris Johnson was the only other cornerback taken in the first round, but despite many following on Friday, McCoy was not among them.
