Jermod McCoy falls to Raiders in Round 4 of NFL draft

HENDERSON, Nev. – Jermod McCoy’s fall in the NFL draft due to knee problems ended Saturday when the Las Vegas Raiders moved up and selected him with the first pick in the fourth round.

McCoy, the former Tennessee cornerback, had been considered a potential first-round pick, but ended up falling to 101st overall.

He missed all of last season after suffering a torn ACL in January 2025. Speaking after the Raiders selected him, McCoy said his knee felt good, adding that it was up to the team to decide whether he should have another surgery.

“All my doctors who performed my operation told me [that] I’m fine,” he said. “But if there’s something that [the Raiders] that I want to do for the duration of my career, I’m willing to do it because I feel like they have my best interest.”

Raiders vice president of player personnel Brandon Hunt said the team is waiting for McCoy to enter the building and meet with medical staff to determine if he needs another procedure.

“We haven’t even gotten that far,” Hunt said. “We have excellent medical staff, [head athletic trainer] Chris Cortez and [wellness coordinator] Alex [Guerrero]. We’re going to bring him into the building and make all the decisions. For now, we are excited to celebrate this child. »

Las Vegas moved into the top of the fourth round by sending its 102nd pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for the No. 101 pick.

“We felt good about where we took him. It was an opportunity to capitalize on it,” Hunt said. “[McCoy] is arguably the best corner in the draft, and we think we have great people and a great process to make sure we get the best out of his player. »

McCoy said the Raiders expressed interest in him late in the pre-draft process. He had a Zoom meeting with the organization the day before the draft, as did several other players.

“They kinda got on my radar. I kind of thought [that] something was happening,” McCoy said. “But I mean, I didn’t really have a clue where I was going to go, to be honest. So I mean, it’s just a blessing to be picked by the Raiders.”

McCoy said it was hard to watch his slide, but he always kept his eyes glued to the TV screen because it was a dream to hear his name called, no matter the turn.

He said he wants to use what happened as motivation throughout his NFL career.

“I was ready for anything, but I was [expected] to go higher,” McCoy said. “I had a good pro day, I ran good times and I did good things. … It’s not in my control, and I’m really happy the team took me anyway, because it’s an accomplishment to get here in the first place.

McCoy began his college career in 2023 at Oregon State. As a freshman, he recorded his first career interception against Raiders first-round draft pick Fernando Mendoza, who was then playing for California.

McCoy transferred to Tennessee in 2024 and was impressive in his lone season with the Volunteers. He was named to the All-SEC first team after recording four steals and nine assists. He gave up a 41.9% completion rate and a 15.2 QBR when targeted.

Cornerback was a big need for Las Vegas.

The Raiders brought back outside cornerback Eric Stokes on a three-year deal and traded him for nickel cornerback Taron Johnson, while last year’s third-round pick Darien Porter showed some potential as a rookie. But the depth outside of those players is pretty thin.

If McCoy succeeds, he has a chance to solidify a starting role in the secondary for years to come.

McCoy was one of four defensive backs the Raiders took in the draft. They selected versatile safety Treydan Stukes in the second round (38th pick) on Friday. And later Saturday, they drafted Arizona safety Dalton Johnson and Cal corner Hezekiah Masses in the fifth.