Cowboys host 2 more top CB prospects; flip-flop on Jermod McCoy adds pre-draft intrigue

The cavalcade of cornerbacks coming into The Star in Frisco ahead of the NFL draft continues, with two of the top prospects at the position now joining the parade. For one of them, his visit will open up all kinds of questions about an apparent flip-flop from the Cowboys front office, with observers left to wonder what's really happening with the team's big board. Per Todd Archer of ESPN, Indiana's D'Angelo Ponds and Tennessee's Jermod McCoy are scheduled to meet in-person with the Cowboys next week. Once those 30 visits are complete, Dallas will have hosted nine of the top 11 corners listed in "The Beast," Dane Brugler's draft guide for *The Athletic*. And it potentially puts back into play one name who the Cowboys had reportedly already scratched.

Add two more cornerbacks to the Cowboys’ top 30 list. Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy and Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds are scheduled to be at The Star next week. That would bring the total known corners to be on the list to seven. Lot to make certain of with McCoy’s knee.

— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) April 11, 2026 McCoy had previously been linked to the Cowboys early in several mock drafts. As a consensus top-two or -three cornerback in this year's class, it made perfect sense, given the Cowboys' glaring need at the position. But an ACL tear that sidelined him for the Volunteers' entire 2025 season raised obvious questions about his 2026 availability. The 20-year-old didn't help alleviate those concerns by skipping workouts at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. In early March, reports out of Dallas suggested that the Cowboys were out on the Tyler, Tex. native. His knee was simply too much of an X factor, the thinking went, and the team wasn't particularly interested in spending a first-round pick on a DB who couldn't immediately be a full go, especially with DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel already having battled recent injuries. But McCoy was sensational at Tennessee's pro day, turning in good to elite numbers in every measurable, wowing scouts with his blazing speed, and showing no apparent aftereffects of his injury. Jermod McCoy is a CB prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.67 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 101 out of 3069 CB from 1987 to 2026.pic.twitter.com/0f7QYhmCpN

— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 7, 2026 His 30 visit to Frisco, though, will raise questions in Cowboys Nation and beyond. Was his pro day performance enough to get the Cowboys to internally declare McCoy healthy and reconsider their interest? Was that initial red flag a smokescreen to mask their true intentions on the player all along? Are the Cowboys just doing due diligence on McCoy so they can feel confident about passing on him if he's available with either the No. 12 or No. 20 pick? Or is the 30 visit part of a dog-and-pony show to try to get someone else to trade up to get him and therefore deflect attention away from the Cowboys' actual target? As for Ponds, he's typically viewed as a second-round talent and would likely be a possibility for the Cowboys only if they trade into the early part of Friday night. One of the James Madison products who followed head coach Curt Cignetti to IU, he adjusted quickly to the larger stage, becoming a two-time All-American for the Hoosiers and the defensive MVP of the team's Peach Bowl win over Oregon en route to the national title. But Ponds is undersized for the cornerback position, standing just five-foot-eight and weighing in around 180 pounds. That "will be a deal-breaker for some" NFL teams, writes Brugler. Ponds would be the shortest player on the Cowboys' current roster (an inch under the listed height of Jaydon Blue and KaVontae Turpin) and one of the lightest. D'Angelo Ponds is a CB prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 8.25 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 538 out of 3069 CB from 1987 to 2026.pic.twitter.com/Wx7Ina3z0O

— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 7, 2026 It's his track-star speed, unquestioned toughness, and instinctive coverage skills, though, that make Ponds a compelling prospect. And as long as the Cowboys are inviting all the other top corners for an up-close look before they almost certainly draft one in Pittsburgh, it only makes sense to include both McCoy and Ponds... if for no other reason than to keep the candidate pool large and keep the other 31 teams guessing about which one Dallas likes most. Todd is on X at @ToddBrock24f7. Also, follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans! *This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys flip on Jermod McCoy; also add D'Angelo Ponds to CB visitors*