Why Jermod McCoy is falling in the 2026 NFL Draft: Tennessee star's injury a massive concern

Jermod McCoy, the massively talented Tennessee Volunteers cornerback, continues his NFL Draft slide into Day 3. It's unexpected, but not entirely surprising now that we know the full details of his injury situation.

The 20-year-old logged six interceptions across two seasons at Oregon State and Tennessee as a freshman and sophomore, rocketing up draft boards as a result. But he missed all of 2025 to a torn ACL suffered that January. That alone might spook teams, but it alone is not the reason for McCoy's precipitous fall.

Why Jermod McCoy fell into Day 3 of the NFL Draft

McCoy's ACL is almost a distraction from the real issue. He ran drills at Tennessee's Pro Day at more or less full health, and there are no lasting concerns about the integrity of the ACL specifically. Instead, teams are worried about a bone plug: Essentially, McCoy replaced degenerative bone and cartilage with a "plug" from a non-load-bearing part of his knee.

There's a chance McCoy will need to undergo the same procedure a second time in the future, which will knock him out for a year and potentially compromise his impact on a permanent basis. Yahoo's Charles Robinson was on the report:

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport compared it to past issues with Houston Texans linebacker and former Alabama star Will Anderson Jr.

"(The drop) is a medical concern about Jermod McCoy’s knee," Rapoport said (h/t Knoxville News Sentinel). "Remember last year when Will Anderson had the concern of a degenerative knee injury, the meniscus. Similar situation here. Obviously, McCoy did not play because of the ACL. That is not what this is about. The ACL is fine ... This is about teams wondering if there are going to be long-term issues on his knee."

Essentially, teams are worried that future knee injuries could cut McCoy's career short — that he's talented enough to impact winning next season, but there's too much uncertainty around his health status for a meaningful investment.

Why a smart NFL team should stop Jermod McCoy's slide

With all due respect, what are we doing here? I am not a medical expert, and there are folks in NFL front offices who know far better than me. But these are theoretical concerns about the potentially distant future. McCoy could never need another surgery. Or maybe he gets it and he heals up fine. With all the advancements in modern medicine, it feels like now is the time to roll the dice.

McCoy is the No. 23 overall prospect on FanSided's NFL Draft big board — and he only ranks even that low because of time missed and injury baggage. Many experts viewed McCoy as a top-10 talent coming into this past season. He could end up being the steal of the draft at this rate.

Contract guarantees fall off dramatically after the second round. The maximum contract for a fourth-round pick is $5.48 million. No NFL team will need to commit serious financial resources to McCoy at this stage, and every prospect comes with one red flag or another. He's a late-round pick who could be starting and playing major snaps for a contender next season. Bring him in on a trial basis, get your medical staff involved and cross your fingers. Maybe it blows up, but a fourth- or fifth-round pick "blowing up" is barely even a thing. Every team is throwing darts at midnight with a blindfold on right now.

This is one of the more obvious instances of every team overthinking it. McCoy has a chance to meaningfully reshape a team's defensive backs room as a rookie. He could be the best player at his position. Letting him fall to the second round is one thing; thhe injury concerns are clearly real, as is the opportunity cost. But the fourth round? There is not a single talent still on the board who eclipses McCoy, even accounting for risk.

Also of note from Yahoo's report: The top bone plug surgeon out there is the Dallas Cowboys' team doctor. So maybe we know how this is going to end already ...

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