Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy Enters NFL Draft With First-Round Hype Despite Injury Layoff
Jermod McCoy hasn’t played a snap since the 2024 College Football Playoff, but that hasn’t stopped NFL scouts and analysts from circling his name in bold ink. The Tennessee cornerback has officially declared for the NFL Draft, and despite missing the entire 2025 season while recovering from a torn ACL, he’s widely projected to be a first-round pick - with some buzz even placing him inside the Top 15.
That’s the fascinating part of McCoy’s draft profile. The talent?
Undeniable. The production?
Impressive. The medicals?
That’s where the questions start. Teams love what they’ve seen on tape, but they’ll be watching closely during the pre-draft process - especially at the NFL Combine - to see if McCoy is truly ready to return to form.
Elite Traits, Even With a Year Off
McCoy’s college journey started at Oregon State, where he flashed early with two interceptions in 2023. But it was his transfer to Tennessee that turned heads.
In 2024, he put together a breakout season, racking up 44 tackles, four interceptions, and four pass breakups - all while locking down some of the SEC’s premier wideouts. His instincts, ball skills, and physicality on the perimeter made him a key piece of a Tennessee defense that helped push the Vols into the College Football Playoff conversation.
That kind of on-ball production doesn’t go unnoticed. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. currently ranks McCoy as the top cornerback in the class and the No. 14 overall prospect. Field Yates has him just behind LSU’s Mansoor Delane, but still firmly in the top tier of defensive backs.
“McCoy didn’t play in 2025 after suffering a torn ACL in January, but he still has the chance to be the first cornerback off the board in April,” Kiper wrote. “His ball-hawking traits really emerged once transferring to Tennessee.”
Draft Analysts See Pro-Ready Potential
Bobby Belt, a Cowboys insider and draft analyst, broke down McCoy’s tape on a recent episode of Shan & RJ on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. After studying both McCoy and Delane, Belt didn’t hesitate to label them as the two most NFL-ready corners in the class.
“If you wanted to say, ‘Let me get the most competent, ready-to-go, starting corners possible in this draft,’ I think there are realistically two options,” Belt said. “And McCoy is one of them.”
Belt was especially struck by McCoy’s 2024 film, calling it “ridiculous” in terms of what the then-19-year-old was doing in the SEC. That’s not just praise - that’s context. McCoy was still a teenager while playing like one of the most polished corners in the country.
“He was one of the better pro-ready corners you’ve ever seen,” Belt said. “He gets an offseason injury, he tears his ACL… but I don’t see him getting to the second round.”
And that’s the key point. Even with a full season on the sideline, Belt believes some team will take the swing on McCoy in the first round - whether he’s ready to contribute immediately or not.
“Someone will take him and just go, ‘We’ll stash him then,’” Belt added. “He’s allegedly going to be ready to play.
But it’s just been so few updates. He’s been out for a full year.
It’s a lot.”
Recovery Watch: What We Know So Far
McCoy’s recovery timeline has been mostly under wraps. When Tennessee opened fall camp in August 2025, head coach Josh Heupel didn’t offer a timetable for his return.
But on August 8, McCoy was spotted doing light drills with the cornerback group. No heavy knee brace, but also no full-speed reps.
Media access to practice was limited after that, so there’s been little clarity on how much progress he made during the season. That mystery will make the NFL Combine and team medical evaluations all the more important.
A First-Round Talent With First-Round Questions
At six feet tall and hailing from Whitehouse, Texas, McCoy checks a lot of boxes for today’s NFL cornerbacks - size, speed, instincts, and production against elite competition. His 2024 tape is enough to keep him in the first-round conversation, and if he clears medical evaluations, don’t be surprised if he’s one of the first defensive backs off the board.
The only thing standing between McCoy and a high draft slot is proof that he’s healthy. If he can show teams he’s back - or close to it - he won’t have to wait long on draft night.