Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy in NFL Draft free-fall amid injury concerns
By David Wasson
Published:
Every year’s NFL Draft seemingly has one player that ends up falling far below their expected draft position – and the 2026 NFL Draft is no different.
Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy, projected by many analysts as a first-round selection, went undrafted through the first two rounds amid concerns about the reconstructed ACL in his right knee that forced him to miss all of the 2025 season.
McCoy sustained the injury during an offseason workout less than a month after the end of the 2024 season. And despite initial reports that he could return in time for the 2025 campaign, McCoy didn’t play another game for the Volunteers.
McCoy was able to run an impressive sub-4.4 40-yard dash at the Volunteers’ pro day in March, but NFL teams obviously still have concerns about the defensive back’s knee – as his injury required a bone plug for the cartilage that might need to be replaced with another surgery and then brings up questions of longevity.
A transfer from Oregon State, McCoy played a full season for the Volunteers in 2024 – notching four interceptions and nine pass deflections. As of Friday, it will have been 489 days since McCoy last played in a game and will be close to 600 days when the 2026 NFL preseason begins.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
