We continue our 2026 NFL Draft preview of draft prospects that could interest the Dallas Cowboys. Today we are looking at Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy.
Jermod McCoy
CB
Tennessee
Junior
3-star recruit
6’0”
193 lbs
History
As a true freshman at Oregon State in 2023, McCoy played all 12 games and started five, finishing with 31 tackles and two interceptions with seven pass breakups. He finished the year as the Beavers’ team leader in passes defended, and his first start against Cal he had a season-high six tackles and registered
his first pick.
In 2024, McCoy transferred to Tennessee and he immediately became a full-time starter. He started all 13 games, led the Vols with nine passes defended and four interceptions, and finished with 44 tackles. He also returned punts with six returns for 59 yards. He allowed only one touchdown during the regular season on 640 snaps, and two of his interceptions were in the end zone and prevented touchdowns, plus his Alabama game included eight tackles and a one-handed end-zone interception that swung momentum.
His issues in the 2025 season were all injury-driven. He sustained a nasty and complex ACL injury while training in January, with Tennessee then carefully managing the rehab process. There was some periodic late-season optimism about a possible return, but he ultimately never got back on the field.
2025 Statistics
N/A
Snap by Postion
N/A
NFL Combine/Pro Day
N/A
Awards
2024: First-Team All-SEC
2024: Second-Team All-American
Scorecard
Overall– 84.4
Speed- 78
Acceleration- 88
Agility- 90
Strength- 71
Tackling- 80
Man Coverage- 92
Zone Coverage- 90
Press Man- 85
Run Defense- 79
Discipline- 87
THE GOOD
- Elite ball skills and finishing at the catch point.
- Thanks to previous wide receiver experience he tracks the ball just like a receiver and plays with strong hands.
- Explosive first step and twitch, including when changing direction.
- Loose and oily hips and natural route-mirroring ability in man coverage.
- Press capability.
- Body type and play strength to disrupt releases plus comfort hand-fighting throughout the route.
- Scheme versatility.
- Recovery speed and burst to stay in phase vertically and erase late separation.
- Competitive toughness and physical edge.
- Tackle efficiency with a low missed-tackle rate on his 2024 tape.
THE BAD
- Medicals are the headline concern here. The ACL tear that wiped out his 2025 season creates a major question mark. How was the recovery quality, what will his testing look like, and what’s the confidence in long-term durability?
- Tackling angles can be over-aggressive and he doesn’t always wrap up cleanly in space.
- Can be too grabby or over-physical downfield when stressed vertically. Eight penalties in 2024.
- Press patience can be an issue where he allows too much inside access to quick releases.
- Has moments where he doesn’t pass off routes cleanly, so pattern-match discipline needs tightening.
- Gambling tendencies can leave him vulnerable to double moves if the rush doesn’t get home.
- Limited proof of play relative to the other top corners in his tier.
THE FIT
McCoy fits best as an outside corner in a defense that majors in man-match and pattern-match zone, and is comfortable letting him play with vision and drive on routes, because his best trait is ball production from reading stems and exploding on the throw. Teams can maximize him by keeping him on the boundary, mixing press-bail and off-man so he can stay square and trigger as he returns to full form post-knee injury. He’s a CB2 with CB1 splash-play upside in a scheme that values instincts, turnovers, and route anticipation more than asking him to live in pure press-man every snap.
SUMMARY
Jermod McCoy profiles as an outside corner whose game is built on athleticism, route recognition, and finishing on the football. His best tape shows easy movement skills, smooth hips, quick feet, and the acceleration to drive underneath throws, plus strong ball production and timing at the catch point. He’s most comfortable when he can play with vision and use his instincts to jump routes.
The main hinge point here is the medical and availability questions after the knee injury that wiped out his 2025 season, plus the normal refinement areas for an aggressive ball-hawk. Staying disciplined with eyes in conflict, tightening his technique at the line and at the top of routes versus polished separators, and continuing to build functional strength for tackling and holding his leverage in the run game are major areas to work on. If he checks out medically, he projects as an early starter-level CB2 with CB1 upside in a scheme that prioritizes takeaways and lets him play fast. For most evaluators, he’s the second cornerback in this class, but to side with caution he’s the fourth-best in the rankings here with the potential to rise as news on his medicals get reported post-combine.
PRO COMPARISON
Darius Slay
BTB OVERALL RANKING
26th
CONSENSUS OVERALL RANKING
14th
(Consensus ranking based on the average ranking from 90 major scoring services, including BTB)
