Jermond McCoy: The Raiders’ Draft Steal That Could Revamp Las Vegas’s Secondary

The Las Vegas Raiders went into the 2026 NFL draft with one glaring hole: pass defense. During the 2025 season the Raiders’ secondary allowed a 68.5 % completion rate, the 29th‑ranked mark in the league. They generated only eight interceptions and posted a 2.9 passing‑touchdown‑to‑interception ratio, ranking 24th, while their coverage grade of 32.0 was tied for the lowest the NFL had seen in four seasons. To address that weakness, general manager Tom Telesco and head coach Klint Kubiak leaned heavily into defensive backs, spending three of their first four picks on the secondary. The most intriguing gamble was taking Jermond McCoy, a 6‑foot‑2, 193‑pound cornerback from Tennessee, with the first pick of the fourth round. Once considered a top‑15 talent, McCoy fell to No. 101 because of medical red flags. If he returns to the form he showed in college, the Raiders may have stolen a shutdown corner that can elevate their defense for years.

This article explains why McCoy slid so far, what his college film and advanced metrics reveal, how his skill set fits the Raiders’ scheme, and what Las Vegas must do schematically to maximise the pick. It includes actionable solutions for improving a beleaguered secondary and a forward‑looking FAQ.

McCoy was a multi‑sport star at Whitehouse High School in Texas. As a senior, he won state championships in the long jump and triple jump while catching 57 passes for 784 yards and eight touchdowns. Oregon State won his commitment, and McCoy earned a starting role as a true freshman in 2023, collecting 31 tackles with seven pass breakups and two interceptions in 12 games.

Seeking a bigger stage, he transferred to Tennessee and erupted in 2024. McCoy was named first‑team All‑SEC after he logged 44 tackles, four interceptions and nine pass breakups, leading the Volunteers with 13 passes defended. According to Tennessee’s official records, he allowed only one touchdown across 640 coverage snaps that year and posted an elite 89.6 Pro Football Focus coverage grade. His coverage metrics were remarkable: opponents completed just 41.9 % of passes into his coverage for a 15.2 QBR. He showed a knack for denying vertical routes—on throws between 21 and 30 air yards, he allowed a completion rate of just 29.4 %.

That production—coupled with a 9.67 relative athletic score (RAS) and elite testing numbers—made him a projected first‑round pick. At his pro day, he ran a 4.37‑second 40‑yard dash, recorded a 38‑inch vertical jump and a 10 feet 7 inch broad jump, and completed 14 bench‑press reps. Those times tied or exceeded many first‑round corners; for comparison, All‑Pro Patrick Surtain II measured similar size (6‑2/208) and ran a 4.41 s 40‑yard dash with a 39‑inch vertical and 10 feet 11 inch broad jump at his pro day, while Eagles star Quinyon Mitchell ran a 4.33 s 40 with a 38‑inch vertical and 10 feet 2 inch broad jump.

Two events conspired to knock McCoy out of the first round: an ACL tear in January 2025 and an associated cartilage defect repaired using a bone plug. He missed the entire 2025 season rehabbing the ACL. Despite his fast 40‑time, multiple teams flagged his medicals. Reports indicated that some clubs removed him from their board because they feared the bone‑plug graft could accelerate cartilage degeneration and might require further surgery. ProFootballNetwork reported that at least four teams red‑flagged his knee.