Height: 6-0
Weight: 193 lbs
Year: Junior
Pro Comparison: Joe Haden
2026 NFL Combine ResultsJermod McCoy, Tennessee, CornerbackPros of Jermod McCoy
Excellent man coverage defender. Elite foot fire with the hip fluidity to mirror receivers on a variety of routes.
Notable awareness in zone coverage. Has a feel for route concepts, collapsing on underneath routes or passing off intermediate routes, and making plays on the ball.
Ball skills. 16 pass breakups and six interceptions during his two seasons. Naturally soft hands and instincts to make quarterbacks guess before targeting him.
Cons of Jermod McCoy
Missed all of 2025 season with an ACL tear.
Lacks physicality in both coverage and against the run at times. Want to see him use his frame more.
Can become grabby when in phase. Slight tendency to panic and not let his traits work for him.
Background
A former three-star recruit, McCoy started his collegiate career with the Oregon State Beavers before making the jump to the SEC and joining the Tennessee Volunteers in 2024. Former long jump and triple jump champion in the state of Texas.
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Led Oregon State with pass breakups in 2023 as a true freshman. Transferred to Tennessee and immediately became impactful against a jump in competition. Was a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award and was a second-team All-American selection in 2024. Missed all of 2025 due to an ACL tear.
Player Evaluation
McCoy projects to be a man-coverage defender who is at his best on the boundary and guarding the man in front of him. With some of the smoothest transitions in the class, you can feel confident about his ability to mirror and match defenders on underneath and intermediate routes.
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There are some questions about his recovery speed, and you would like to see him use more of his frame at the line of scrimmage and against the run, but those underscore the injury concerns. If McCoy comes out of his medicals cleanly during the pre-draft process, there is a chance he’s the top corner off the board.
A to Z Rankings
A to Z Draft Grade: 9.24
Draft projection: Round 1
Related: Caleb Downs 2026 NFL Draft: scouting report for Ohio State, Safety
This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Feb 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL Draft section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.