Cowboys connection conundrum? CB McCoy interest isn't mixed signaling

The Dallas Cowboys reportedly aren’t interested in top cornerback prospect Jermod McCoy later this month in the 2026 NFL draft. Also, the Dallas Cowboys are making CB Jermod McCoy one of their 30 official visitors for the 2026 NFL draft.

To say reports have been conflicting between a McCoy-Cowboys connection is an understatement.

What we know is the Cowboys are uninterested in red-shirt prospects in this win-now campaign of 2026. Dallas took a shot at a red shirt bargain last season when they drafted injured cornerback Shevon Revel in the third round. Revel took time making it onto the field for the Cowboys, and when he did finally play, he looked less than 100 percent. The Cowboys don't want to go through that all again.

McCoy, roughly 15 months removed from a 2025 knee injury, missed the entire 2025 season, the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine workouts. The only action McCoy’s seen since his injury is in the controlled setting of his Pro Day earlier this month.

McCoy impressed at that Pro Day showing 4.38 speed on the 40-yard-dash and running various drills, but much is still in question regarding his return to form. Once upon a time he was a brilliant prospect; 2024 (aka a long dang time ago). So, it’s not surprising insiders have plainly stated he’s not an option for Dallas. Yet, when the Cowboys, a franchise that takes 30 visits seriously, invited McCoy to Dallas for an official visit, many are left scratching their heads at all the mixed signals.

The reality is McCoy is not a open and shut case. His injury isn’t black and white, and the Cowboys' interest isn’t without conditions or gray area. Getting a closer look at McCoy could be a better effort to gauge the knee but it also might be to test the man himself and assess risk.

McCoy might be medically cleared and simultaneously less than 100%. He might not be an option at 12 but could start to be an option at 20. McCoy might be a player dedicated to recovery like DaRon Bland or he might be someone who’s less serious about it like Trevon Diggs. Circumstances and specifics matter.

The Cowboys aren’t talking out both sides of their mouth; they’re just considering the situation for the complexity it is. What’s clear is this isn’t as open and shut as once thought.

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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Jermod McCoy, Cowboys connection offers mixed signal, draft gray area