Despite missing the 2025 season following a torn ACL suffered last January, former Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy’s NFL fate looks bright. ESPN’s Matt Miller’s mock draft projections have already placed him as a favorable first-round pick for a $13 billion NFL franchise, ranking him No. 12 overall. And now the head coach of that team has added fuel to the predictions.

“You see the talent. You see the skill,” said Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, referring to McCoy during his Sunday appearance when he was asked about the importance of Tennessee’s Pro Day.

Schottenheimer even went a step further when he was asked about the importance of the Vols’ Pro Day for McCoy. He said that he was pulling for the CB. The Pro Day is especially critical for McCoy, as he couldn’t participate in on-field drills at the NFL Combine despite attending. The Pro Day is his last opportunity to show teams why they should take a punt on him.

In the 2024 season, McCoy emerged as one of the premier defensive players in CFB, recording 44 tackles and 4 interceptions. He allowed only 10 catches for 168 yards when targeted in man coverage throughout the season. PFF gave him a 97.2% overall coverage grade. The performance earned him Second-Team All-American (AP) and First-Team All-SEC honors that season.

With this kind of talent and experience, McCoy could be a suitor for the Cowboys’ CB hunt in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. Following a series of injuries and a reported “breach in team-travel protocol,” Dallas released Trevon Diggs. Without him, they are not short on options, as the Cowboys have DaRon Bland, who is solid but currently recovering from a nagging foot issue. Behind Bland, there’s Shavon Revel Jr., but he also recovering from injury.

Now, the team needs an immediate contributor who scares opposing QBs. When QBs targeted McCoy in 2024, they achieved a 48.3 passer rating. To cap it off, throughout a significant 174-snap stretch that season, he did not allow a single TD pass. Now, if the ex-Vols CB can impress the Dallas head coach by showing up on Pro Day, there’s a solid chance he could play for them this season.

Despite that, questions remain about his injury, and here’s where a beat writer has stepped in to support McCoy.

Brian Schottenheimer’s team should approach the Vols’ CB

Despite his undeniable upside, Jermod McCoy’s selection for the Cowboys could face a tough decision because of his injury. Although owner Jerry Jones still considers him a fallback option, the risk is hard to ignore. With LSU CB Mansoor Delane boosting his stock following a 40-yard dash, the board could shift quickly.

But don’t worry, because not all see McCoy through the same lens. “I understand the hesitation from the Cowboys,” said Joseph Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News. “I don’t think they want redshirt players. I don’t think they want to use a top 12 pick on a guy that plays six games next year. I think that they need instant impact guys, and they need to be fully comfortable with a guy like McCoy that he could do it.”

There’s no doubt about the former Tennessee CB’s potential. His All-SEC campaign with the Volunteers helped power a run to the CFP. However, that production came before the injury clouded projections. Now, it’s up to the Cowboys whether they choose to make the safer decision or take a chance on McCoy.