The Athletic ranks Jermod McCoy as No. 2 corner in 2026 NFL Draft

Jermod McCoy is the No. 2 cornerback prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, according to position rankings from The Athletic, with the Tennessee Football All-American defensive back ranked behind only Clemon corner Avieon Terrell.

The only question for McCoy — and the only reason he wasn’t ranked No. 1 — is his health. McCoy this week returned to Tennessee practice for the first time since tearing his ACL during offseason training in January.

McCoy was limited to working out on the side and doing individual drills while making his return during practice Friday morning.

“The No. 1 concern surrounding him is his health,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote. “After starting all 13 games last season, McCoy suffered an ACL tear this past January while training at home. He underwent knee surgery and is reportedly rehabbing well, but when will he return to the field? And how does that affect his draft decision? A lot of unknowns.”

“Were he fully healthy,” Brugler also noted, “McCoy would have been CB1 in these preseason rankings, but the unknowns knock him down a spot (for now). With a complete recovery, he can be one of the better defensive prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.”

Jermod McCoy last season: 44 tackles, 9 passes defended, 4 interceptions

McCoy finished his first season at Tennessee with 44 tackles, nine passes defended and four interceptions. He had 31 tackles and two interceptions in 12 games as a freshman at Oregon State before transferring to Tennessee. 

“There is a lot to like about McCoy’s game,” Brugler wrote in his position rankings for The Athletic. “He is a solid size-speed athlete with physicality, instincts and ball skills. In press man, he gets his hands on receivers early to reroute them and shows terrific feel and timing from off coverage.

“McCoy’s short-area explosiveness looks better than his long speed, but I love his reactionary twitch to stay attached in coverage. He is also one of the best tackling defensive backs in college football.”

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel on Saturday addressed McCoy’s return to the practice field.

“Yeah, cool moment for Jermod,” Heupel said after Tennessee’s first scrimmage of the fall. “Big moment getting back on the field, doing some of the individual work. It was cool to see the way his brothers were excited for him in that moment and how big that was, too. He broke us down before practice.

“He’s done an elite job throughout his rehab, and there’s still more that he’s got to continue to do, but excited to get him back out with us.”

The Athletic projects Jermod McCoy as No. 11 overall pick in NFL Draft

Way-too-early NFL mock drafts all seem to agree on McCoy as a first-round pick in the NFL Draft. McCoy is projected at No. 11 overall pick according to The Athletic, No. 12 by USA Today, No. 13 according to Todd McShay and No. 20 according to CBS Sports.

Pro Football Focus in the spring ranked McCoy at No. 8 overall in its first Big Board for the 2026 NFL Draft. 

ESPN in June ranked McCoy as the No. 1 cornerback prospect in the draft, according to NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller. McCoy is coming off a breakout debut season with the Vols, after transferring from Oregon State.

“The Oregon State transfer thrived in his first season with the Vols,” ESPN’s Jordan Reid wrote, “intercepting four passes and looking like the CB1 of a strong 2026 corner class. 

“But he suffered a torn ACL during a January training session, putting his status for the 2025 season in doubt. Can McCoy return to the field this season, and how would he perform if he does?”