Cornerback Jermod McCoy can’t be certain what the future will hold in terms of the health of his surgically-repaired right knee.
But he now knows that future is with the Las Vegas Raiders.
“I feel good,” he said after the Raiders finally selected him in the fourth round of the NFL draft on Saturday. “But as far as another surgery and all that, that would just be strictly based on what the team wants me to do. Whatever the team’s plan for me is, is what I’ll be doing.”
McCoy was one of the most talented players in the entire prospect pool this year and would probably have been a top-10 pick had there been no medical concerns.
But that wasn’t the case.
McCoy has not played a competitive game since tearing his ACL during an offseason workout in January 2025. He did test at Tennessee’s pro day and looked great, running a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and posting a 38-inch vertical leap.
He hoped that would be enough to convince NFL teams he was ready to go. But the medical exams reportedly revealed an issue with a bone plug inserted during his ACL reconstruction surgery.
According to medical text, a bone plug is a piece of healthy bone and cartilage that is removed and reinserted into the affected area to create a smoother surface.
It’s possible a second surgery will be required, and there is believed to be concern it could impact his longevity as a pro.
The Raiders were the team that ultimately made that decision.
“We felt good about it where we took him,” vice president of player personnel Brandon Hunt said. “It was an opportunity to get value. This is probably, arguably, the best corner in the draft, and we feel like we have great people and a great process to make sure we get the best out of him.”
Hunt said the Raiders won’t know yet how they will handle the injury. They want to allow him the chance to enjoy the moment of becoming a pro and then bring him in for a full evaluation to explore all of their options.
“Right now we’re just excited about celebrating this kid and getting him in the building,” Hunt said. “He’s 20 years old. He’s twitchy. He’s fast. He’s a cover guy with some punt return skills. We’re really excited to see what he does. The future is bright with this guy.”
McCoy is ready for whatever the next step proves to be in his journey.
“All my doctors that did my surgery, they tell me I’m good,” McCoy said. “I feel like I’m good. But if there’s something that they’re wanting me to do for the longevity of my career, I’m willing to do that. I’m going to listen to the team, because I feel like they have my best interest (in mind).”
The caution flags were waving enough, however, for McCoy to go unselected through the first two days of the draft.
He wouldn’t have to wait very long on Saturday.
The Raiders made a trade to move up one spot in order to ensure the opportunity to select McCoy right when the day began, sending a 2027 seventh-round pick to Buffalo.
The Raiders had certainly been monitoring the situation, holding a virtual meeting with McCoy on Wednesday just 24 hours before the draft was set to begin.
McCoy started to get a sense at that point the Raiders could be an eventual landing spot, but he was still hopeful he would be drafted early on.
Still, he didn’t let his slide deter him. He continued to watch the coverage as players less talented than him kept getting selected.
“This isn’t something you could take for granted,” he said. “This is everyone’s dream. So, it’s not something you could just say, ‘I didn’t get drafted where I wanted, so I’m not going to watch the draft anymore.’ It is still a blessing to get drafted. So I was in there watching it, got the call, super excited, ready to get to work.”
He will do it with some teammates he already has some familiarity with from his college days.
McCoy’s first career interception came against then-Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza when he was still at Oregon State.
“It was my first college pick, so probably one of the top moments in my life,” he said. “We talked after that game too, just chopped it up a little bit. It’s good to know we are going to be on the same team, too. We got the best quarterback in college football and now going to be the best in the league.”
McCoy has even more experience with college teammate Dont’e Thornton Jr., who texted him immediately after the pick was announced.
“We’re reunited again, back in the same locker room, and get to be cool with each other again and all that. Getting to go against him again in practice, I feel like me and Dont’e would battle every day and we made each other way better. He’s part of the reason why I had the season I had (in 2024), just guarding him every day and making me better.
“Getting to do that again is just going to improve both of our games.”
McCoy’s game is already very good, as long as he can get on the field.
He had 13 passes defensed and four interceptions during his spectacular 2024 campaign with the Volunteers. McCoy is sticky in coverage and a great closer if there is any separation. He has great vision in zone and is willing to get involved in the run game.
McCoy will put those skills to use in Las Vegas and now has an extra chip on his shoulder from all the teams that snubbed him multiple times.
“I feel like all of it’s just motivation just fueling me,” he said. “I feel I’ve just been through a lot and I’ve got a story that I’m still trying to tell.”
The next chapter will be with the Raiders.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
