Defensive back Jermod McCoy #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers is said to be a no-go for the Dallas Cowboys.
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Defensive back Jermod McCoy #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers is said to be a no-go for the Dallas Cowboys.
If you’ve been a follower of NFL mock drafts in recent weeks–and who isn’t at this time of year?–then you’re surely aware not only that the Dallas Cowboys have two first-round picks, at No. 12 and No. 20, but that it’s very likely they will select defensive players with both picks. That makes sense because the Cowboys, after all, were the worst defense in the NFL last year. Moreover, you’ve probably noticed that one name comes up consistently with the Cowboys at No. 12: Tennessee star cornerback Jermod McCoy.
He’s there in Yahoo’s mock draft, as a “high-upside prospect” going at No. 12. Field Yates of ESPN has him landing in Dallas, calling him, “One of the true wild cards in this draft.” Rhett Lewis of NFL.com has McCoy going to Dallas after he “aced his testing” at his pro day in Knoxville.
It’s a common pick because the Cowboys will need some draft luck to have one of the defensive players considered among the six best–Arvell Reese, David Bailey, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs, Mansoor Delane, Rueben Bain–fall to them on draft night. McCoy is generally considered the best prospect of the second tier of defenders.
Jermod McCoy Suffered ACL Injury in January 2025
But back at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, the Cowboys made clear that they were not interested in adding players in the draft who would need time to adjust to playing in the NFL. The Cowboys, after back-to-back seven-win seasons, are eager to push forward in 2026, and need ready-made players who can fill holes immediately.
McCoy was an excellent corner at Tennessee, but he did not play at all last season after suffering a torn ACL in January 2025. He ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at his pro day this year, and that helped his stock in the eyes of most teams.
Jermod McCoy ‘Commonly Mocked’ to Cowboys
But not the Cowboys. That’s the assertion of beat reporter Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who has been writing since February that the Cowboys are out on drafting McCoy, no matter how many times he crops up in mock drafts.
In reporting on players who have taken Top 30 visits with the Cowboys in the run-up of the draft, Harris pointed out that McCoy was not among the players who visited. That does not mean the Cowboys won’t take him, but it is one of many indicators that they’ll look elsewhere.
Wrote Harris on Tuesday, “Of note, commonly mocked to the Cowboys, CB Jermod McCoy, was not among the 30 visitors. The Star-Telegram reported after the NFL Combine that he is not expected to be in play for the Cowboys because of his injury history, and that remains the expectation following his Pro Day.”
Cowboys Can’t ‘Redshirt’ a Draft Pick
McCoy is expected to play this season, and will be 20 months removed from the ACL injury in Week 1. Even if the Cowboys don’t want injured players, it appears likely that McCoy is still too risky for the team.
Team owner Jerry Jones said back in February: “We can’t redshirt a second-round pick. We don’t have a second-round pick to begin with, but if we got one, we can’t redshirt those guys this year. We gotta go… We got to go this year. We got to have it out there, and when we got to be working it this year.”