Pro Football Rumors
Jermod McCoy was arguably the No. 1 cornerback available a few weeks before the draft, but serious concerns over his knee led to a precipitous drop down the board. McCoy lasted until the first pick in the fourth round, where the Raiders took a flier at No. 101 overall.
The Raiders have taken it easy with McCoy during their offseason program, but it appears he will ramp up activities when training camp opens in July. McCoy is on schedule to be a full participant, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post. There are not any “new issues” with his knee, per Bonsignore.
McCoy hasn’t played a down of football since 2024, when he was a second-team All-American at Tennessee. The 6-foot-1, 188-pounder deflected nine passes and came down with four interceptions in 13 games that year, but he was unable to build on it in 2025 after tearing his ACL. McCoy bounced back nicely in February at the Combine, where he showed off his athleticism with a 4.37-second 40-yard dash, a 38-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot, 7-inch broad jump.
While his Combine showing was encouraging, there was nonetheless plenty of leeriness toward McCoy going into the draft. The ACL injury had little to do with his stock plummeting in the first place. Rather, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said before the draft, “the concern is about a bone plug that was used to repair a cartilage defect in his knee.” If McCoy eventually requires surgery to replace the bone plug, it would likely shelve him for at least a year. Worse, there is a good chance an unsuccessful procedure would end his career.
There was too much risk for any team to spend a high pick on McCoy, but he could emerge as a mid-round steal for the Raiders if his knee holds up. Also a former Oregon State corner, McCoy picked off six passes in two college seasons. Las Vegas, whose defense tied for 27th in INTs last year, would welcome that type of playmaking ability. If McCoy is indeed a full go when camp rolls around, he will presumably compete with Darien Porter for the Raiders’ No. 2 corner job opposite Eric Stokes. McCoy’s performance in camp and during the preseason will count among the Raiders’ most interesting storylines this summer.
