Defensive back Jermod McCoy #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers could be crossed off the list of Dallas Cowboys draft prospects.
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Defensive back Jermod McCoy #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers could be crossed off the list of Dallas Cowboys draft prospects.
If there is anything that could be said for sure about how the Dallas Cowboys should approach their defensive rebuild under new coordinator Christian Parker, it is this: They need cornerbacks.
Yes, the Cowboys need a linebacker. That’s true every year, it seems. And yes, they’ll need help at safety and will seek to bolster the pass rush as well. But of all the problems that caused Dallas to unravel defensively in 2025, it was the collapse of the team’s cornerbacks, which was expected to be a strength. Instead, we saw DaRon Bland struggled with injuries and both Kai’ir Elam and Trevon Diggs perform so poorly that both were cut during the season.
And they were cut at a position in which the Cowboys had virtually no depth. That’s how bad things were for Dallas, which was graded out with a 30.9 mark in pass coverage by Pro Football Focus, the No. 32 team in the NFL in that category. It’s the worst coverage grade of any team in the NFL since the 2020 Detroit Lions.
Cowboys ‘Crossing Off’ Jermod McCoy?
The Cowboys, then, are hardly a team that should be turning up their noses at defensive backs. But according to team insider Nick Harris of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram, who was in Indianapolis last week for the NFL draft combine, Dallas is doing just that with one of the top cornerback prosects in 2026–Tennessee star Jermod McCoy.
The Cowboys have first-round picks at No. 12 and 20, and McCoy would slot in at either. But Harris cites “information” as a reason they won’t do so.
Writes Harris: “There are a lot of names on the draft board heading into April that could make sense with one of the two first-round picks. One name that I’m crossing off based on information this week: Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy.”
Jermod McCoy Tore His ACL More Than a Year Ago
McCoy is considered a Top 20 pick in most mock drafts, and indeed, USA Today’s mock slots him at No. 12 to the Cowboys.
But he did not work out at the combine, which raised some red flags among teams after McCoy missed all of 2025 with an ACL tear. That could be enough to register with the Cowboys, who have not been afraid to take injured players in the past, but who watched third-round pick Shavon Revel struggle badly to get and stay on the field last season.
Revel had torn his ACL in 2024. Whether that’s a factor in the Cowboys potentially removing McCoy from their draft board is uncertain. It’s possible, too, that the Cowboys’ attitude will change when McCoy does his pro day at Tennessee.
“I’m feeling good now,” said McCoy. “I’m ready to play again, to be honest with you. I just want to make sure I’m putting the best thing out. Give me some more training time and do it all at my pro day.”
Cowboys Could Pass on ‘Elite Cover Corner’
The Cowboys are not alone, apparently, in how they view McCoy. At Pro Football Focus, there was some skepticism about McCoy’s decision to not work out at the combine.
The site’s Trevor Sikkema noted, “I love McCoy’s 2024 tape, and he earned an elite 89.6 PFF coverage grade for his efforts as just a true sophomore. But he is 13 months removed from a torn ACL and still didn’t work out at the combine. That doesn’t exactly help when it comes to answering questions about his health.
“He also measured in a bit smaller than expected, at 6-foot-1 and 188 pounds with 31 1/4-inch arms. All of that to say, he’s an elite cover cornerback and worthy of a first-round pick if healthy.”