Jermod McCoy sends thankful message after slipping to Raiders in fourth round

When Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft came to an end, and Tennessee quarterback Jermod McCoy was still on the board, it got fans wondering what was going on with one of the top cornerbacks in this year’s class.

Sure, McCoy missed all of 2025 with a leg injury and could potentially miss more time in the future due to the “bone plug” in his knee, but on tape, the collegiate Volunteer might just be the best corner in this draft, even better than Mansoor Delane, who went sixth overall to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Taking to social media after his selection, McCoy sent a message to Raiders Nation, noting how excited he is to wear the Silver and Black moving forward.

“Raider Nation, this is Jermod McCoy, excited to be a part of the Silver and Black, man,” McCoy said. “Ready to get to work, let’s do it.”

Ready to be a Raider. #RaiderNation

ESPN pic.twitter.com/FEMsdWTlsc

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) April 25, 2026

So why did McCoy fall so far in the 2026 NFL Draft when he was widely considered a top-2 cornerback in this year’s class? Well, Steve Palazzolo of Check the Mic broke that down pretty succinctly, noting that the Tennessee product could miss even more time due to injury concerns.

“All right, we finally have Jermod McCoy off the board, Tennessee cornerback, top 10, 15 talent in this draft, falling because of a knee injury and perhaps long-term knee implications, but the Raiders are taking him with the first pick of the fourth round. They traded up to secure Jermod McCoy, one of the biggest stories of the draft. We’re talking about one of the most talented players, top corner on some boards, unbelievably athletic, fast, great ball skills, closing speed,” Palazzolo explained.

“The big question is missing all of 2025 with a knee injury and then perhaps needing one more surgery, and perhaps needing after that surgery to miss one more season. So the Raiders are banking on maybe they miss one of his four rookie contract seasons here, but the upside is incredible for Jermod McCoy, and the Raiders need any kind of playmaker they can get on the defensive side of the ball, and that’s exactly what they’re getting in Jermod McCoy.”

If general managers knew exactly how much time McCoy would miss moving forward, they might have been more willing to select him on Day 2. But because the Raiders are playing the long game in the incredibly testy AFC West, they can afford to lose one more season of McCoy in the short term if it means getting his long-term upside for years to come.

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