Jermod McCoy NFL draft landing spots: Why cornerback fell to Day 3

Jermod McCoy's 2026 NFL Draft journey is going to last three days, despite that fact that many experts and analysts expected the Tennessee cornerback to be drafted in the first round. But after no team handed in a draft card for McCoy during the second or third round April 24, the 2024 All-American slipped into the third day of the proceedings. Were it not for a knee injury that cost him the 2025 college football season, McCoy would have likely been ranked the first or second cornerback in the class – and was by most in the industry regardless of his health.

But NFL front offices did not agree with the risk assessment and McCoy remains up for grabs as the fourth round begins April 25 at 12 p. m. ET.

Why did Jermod McCoy fall in draft? Knee injury scares NFL teams A torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) suffered in January 2025 kept McCoy out of commission for all of last season and clouded his pre-draft process. But in a stellar pro day showing in March, the 6-1, 188-pound corner reminded scouts and general managers why he could live up to the hype of a top-tier cover man.

He ran the 40-yard dash in 4. 37 seconds, which would've tied for the second-fastest time among cornerbacks at the NFL scouting combine. USA TODAY Sports draft analyst Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote : "With superlative ball skills and ample tools to stick with receivers throughout their routes, McCoy can grow into a standout in any defensive scheme.