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ESPN insider’s Jermod McCoy poll will have fans feeling uneasy despite Raiders’ confidence
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ESPN insider’s Jermod McCoy poll will have fans feeling uneasy despite Raiders’ confidence appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Based on talent alone, cornerback Jermod McCoy was considered one of the best prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft class. However, injury concerns slid him all the way to the fourth round, where he was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders .
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The Raiders remain optimistic that McCoy will be able to play in 2026. But that’s not an opinion shared by every team across the league, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
“After Day 2 of the draft, I checked with eight teams about Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy with a simple question: “Is he off your board?” Medical concerns with his surgically repaired knee caused the top-10-to-12 talent to slide dramatically,” Fowler wrote. “Five said yes to the question; three said no. Las Vegas did extensive homework on the injury, and, at least as of now, the team is optimistic about his chances to play in 2026 and avoid a redshirt season or immediate surgery.”
“Perhaps he needs a procedure sometime in the future, but the team is hopeful he can avoid that in the short term, with the caveat that it must get him in the building for the offseason program and see how he’s progressing,” he concluded.
McCoy missed the entire 2025 season after tearing his ACL. Teams are concerned about the long-term implications and a potential follow up surgery. The way the Raiders see it though, if the cornerback can clear his health concerns, they may have gotten the steal of the draft in the fourth round.
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During his 2024 season with Tennessee, McCoy put up 44 tackles, nine passes defended and four interceptions. He was named Second-team All-SEC and Second-team All-American.
The Raiders will be paying close attention to McCoy and his knee throughout the offseason. But it was enough of a concern for many teams to take him off their draft board.
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