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Ryan McFadden
Multiple Authors
HENDERSON, Nev. — Jermod McCoy’s fall in the NFL draft due to concerns about his knee ended Saturday when the Las Vegas Raiders moved up and selected him with the first pick of the fourth round.
McCoy, the former Tennessee cornerback, had been viewed as a potential first-round pick but ended up falling to No. 101.
He missed all of last season after suffering a torn ACL in January 2025. Speaking after the Raiders selected him, McCoy said his knee feels good, adding that it’s up to the team whether he undergoes another surgery.
“All of my doctors that did my surgery told me [that] I’m good,” he said. “But if there’s something that [the Raiders] want me to do for the longevity of my career, I’m willing to do that because I feel like they have my best interest.”
Raiders vice president of player personnel Brandon Hunt said the team is waiting until McCoy gets in the building and meets the medical staff to determine whether he needs another procedure.
“We didn’t even get that far,” Hunt said. “We have a great medical staff, [head athletic trainer] Chris Cortez and [wellness coordinator] Alex [Guerrero]. We are going to get him in the building and make all the decisions. Right now, we’re excited about celebrating this kid.”
Las Vegas moved up to the top of the fourth round by sending its 102nd pick and a 2027 seventh-round choice to the Buffalo Bills for pick No. 101.
“We felt good about where we took him. It was an opportunity to get value,” Hunt said. “[McCoy] is 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 his player.”
McCoy said the Raiders expressed interest in him late in the predraft process. He had a Zoom meeting with the organization the day before the draft, as did multiple other players.
“They kind of got on my radar a little bit. I was kind of thinking [that] something was up,” 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 get picked by the Raiders.”
McCoy said it was difficult to watch his slide, but he still kept his eyes glued to the television screen because it was a dream to hear his name called, no matter the round.
He said he wants to use what happened as motivation throughout his NFL career.
“I was prepared for whatever, but I was [expected] to go higher,” McCoy said. “I had a good pro day, ran some good times and did some good things. … It’s not in my control, and I’m just truly blessed that the team took me anyway, because it’s an achievement 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 the Raiders’ first-round pick, Fernando Mendoza, who was playing for California at the time.
McCoy transferred to Tennessee in 2024 and was impressive during his lone season with the Volunteers. He was named first-team All-SEC after recording four interceptions and nine pass breakups. He gave up a completion rate of 41.9% and a QBR of 15.2 when targeted.
Cornerback was a significant need for Las Vegas.
The Raiders brought back outside cornerback Eric Stokes on a three-year deal and traded for nickel cornerback Taron Johnson, while last year’s third-round pick, Darien Porter, flashed some upside as a rookie. But the depth outside of those players is fairly thin.
If McCoy pans out, 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) Friday. And later Saturday, they drafted Arizona safety Dalton Johnson and Cal corner Hezekiah Masses in the fifth.
