Sports
Red Sox Triston Casas setback should all but guarantee his future in Boston doesnāt exist
Triston Casas's injury raises doubts about his future with the Red Sox.
Yahoo Sports1 min read
Sports
Detroit Lions linked to injured Tennessee star in NFL draft
TL;DR
The Detroit Lions may surprise fans by selecting injured Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy with the 17th pick in the NFL draft, despite needing an offensive tackle. McCoy missed the entire 2025 season due to an ACL injury, but his potential upside is attracting interest.
Could the Detroit Lions shock everyone at pick No. 17?
The prevailing thought is that the Lions will draft either an offensive tackle or an EDGE. Detroit has a need at offensive tackle after it released Taylor Decker and the franchise needs to find some help opposite Aidan Hutchinson, too.
But, a report on Tuesday indicates that Detroit might head a different direction entirely. In a conference call on Tuesday, NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah linked the Lions to injured Tennessee star Jermod McCoy. The 6-foot-1, 188-pound cornerback missed all of 2025 after tearing the ACL in his right knee during an offseason workout.
While there's definitely an injury risk, Jeremiah says the upside on McCoy could be too good for the Lions to pass up.
"Jermod McCoy has top-10 talent. Like, itās legit. All his tape (in 2024) is as good as anything youāll see in this draft and he plays big, heās explosive.
"So how much risk is associated with that? Does that cause him to slide or fall? Itās a little bit of a gamble there with the health situation but, man, if you hit on that one, if heās there and you pull the trigger and hit on him, man, youāve got a dynamic difference maker," Jeremiah said.
McCoy registered 44 tackles, four interceptions and nine pass breakups during the 2024 season with the Vols. The Whitehouse, Texas, native was a second-team AP All-American and a second-team All-SEC selection with Tennessee in 2024.
McCoy played at Oregon State in 2023, totaling seven pass breakups and a pair of interceptions.
If the Lions were to pull the trigger on selecting McCoy, it wouldn't be the first time Detroit has rolled the dice on a first-round pick with a recent injury. The Lions traded up 20 spots from No. 32 to pick No. 12 to draft Jameson Williams in 2022.
Williams had just torn the ACL in his left knee in the national championship game three months prior to the Lions drafting him.
"Take Jamo," Holmes said inĀ his pre-draft press conferenceĀ Monday, April 13 in Allen Park. "That was really his first major injury. We felt pretty good about what the injury was and felt pretty good with where medical advancements are at this point. We felt pretty good about that...
"But yeah, you just got to look at everything.Ā Itās just, youāve just got to feel good about it, but itās case-by-case for sure," Holmes said.
For moreĀ LionsĀ coverage, follow us on X,Ā @TheLionsWire, and give ourĀ FacebookĀ page a like.Ā Follow Josh on X,Ā @JoshOnLions
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions linked to injured Tennessee star Jermod McCoy in NFL draft
Q&A
What injury did Jermod McCoy suffer and how long was he out?
Jermod McCoy tore the ACL in his right knee, causing him to miss the entire 2025 season.
Why are the Detroit Lions considering Jermod McCoy in the NFL draft?
The Lions are considering McCoy due to his significant potential upside, despite the injury risk.
What position do the Detroit Lions need to fill in the NFL draft?
The Lions primarily need to fill the offensive tackle position after releasing Taylor Decker, but they are also exploring other options like cornerback.