Jermod McCoy pick gets extremely high marks from ESPN

TL;DR

Jermod McCoy, a cornerback from Tennessee, was selected by the Raiders with the first pick of Round 4 in the 2026 NFL Draft, falling significantly due to medical concerns about his knee. ESPN analyst Matt Miller rated this pick as the second-best of the draft, highlighting McCoy's first-round talent at a fourth-round price.

Key points

Jermod McCoy was projected as a top cornerback before the draft.
Concerns about his knee surgery caused him to fall to the fourth round.
ESPN's Matt Miller rated McCoy's pick as the second-best of the draft.

Jermod McCoyLas Vegas RaidersTennessee Volunteers

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy (DB20) speaks to media members during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images Tennessee Volunteers CB Jermod McCoy was the talk of the month head of the 2026 NFL Draft. For most of the offseason, he had been projected by experts as either the first or second cornerback taken, and usually well within the first half of the first round. But in the days leading up to the draft, a report came out from NFL insider Tom Pelissero that noted concern that teams’ medical staff had with his knee, particularly as it related to a bone plug used to repair a cartilage defect in his knee. As it turns out, that concern was significant, as McCoy not only fell out of the first round, but out of Day 2 altogether. A truly shocking fall from arguably the best cornerback in the field. That is, when he’s healthy. The Raiders finally ended McCoy’s slide by taking him with the first pick of Round 4, which, let’s face it, is a flat-out steal. Las Vegas picks up a player who has first round talent for a fourth round price, and if his knee can hold up for at least his rookie contract, then they made out like bandits (or Raiders, ironically). And that potential steal is why ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller has McCoy as his second-best pick of the entire draft in his list of top 100 picks. Only the Cowboys’ pick of Ohio State SAF Caleb Downs was higher on his list. This is what Miller had to say about the McCoy pick: “There’s always a really good player who slips due to injury,” . “Ranked as my No. 10 overall prospect, McCoy fell to No. 101 based on concerns that a surgical procedure he had done following a January 2025 ACL tear might need to be redone. But McCoy was cleared to work out at Tennessee’s pro day and excelled with a 40-yard dash time of 4.38 seconds. Las Vegas aggressively attacked its secondary needs, but getting McCoy here could be the weekend’s biggest steal if he’s healthy. It was a smart bet to make and shows that general manager John Spytek is correctly thinking about risk, value and potential.” McCoy should obviously be a strong candidate to slot in as a started in Las Vegas, where he can begin to prove his doubters wrong quickly. And there’s little doubt that the former Vol will have very shred of motivation possible to go out there and play like his hair is on fire every single play. Hopefully his knee holds up, and he can reach the financial security that he was unfortunately denied last week for reasons beyond his control.

Q&A

Why did Jermod McCoy fall in the NFL Draft?

Jermod McCoy fell in the NFL Draft due to concerns from teams' medical staff regarding a knee surgery he underwent, which raised doubts about his long-term health.

What did ESPN analyst Matt Miller say about Jermod McCoy's draft pick?

Matt Miller ranked Jermod McCoy's selection by the Raiders as the second-best pick of the draft, citing his first-round talent and the potential for a significant steal if he remains healthy.

What are the implications of McCoy's knee injury for his NFL career?

If Jermod McCoy's knee holds up, he has the potential to become a starting cornerback for the Raiders and prove his doubters wrong, but the injury raises concerns about his long-term performance.