Former Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Jermod McCoy’s draft stock took a hit after he missed the entire 2025 season due to a torn ACL. And just when his return was to bring some relief ahead of the NFL Draft this week, he is likely to slip even further down the draft with new medical concerns regarding another knee surgery.

“Jermod McCoy did not play at all last season, and has certainly drawn a lot of scrutiny from medical people in the pre-draft process,” NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero said while giving an update on the medical situation of McCoy. “And there is a possibility that he is going to slip in this draft because of the knee that kept him out last season.

“It’s not the ACL that he has reconstructed. The ACL itself is fine, all the scans look good. The concern is about a bone plug that was used to repair a cartilage defect in his knee.  Some of the doctors that have seen his scans are concerned that he will need another surgery to replace that bone plug, which will be an extensive recovery. ”

McCoy tore his ACL in January 2025, during an off-season training session that kept him out of activity ever since. He began individual non-contact drills last August and even impressed during Tennessee’s Pro Day. There, he ran the 40-yard dash in an impressive 4.37 seconds and had a broad jump of 10 feet and seven inches. The injury clearly didn’t diminish his athleticism. He remained as explosive as he was in his outstanding 2024 season.

Beyond his physical recovery, McCoy has also shown immense mental strength throughout his injury setbacks. He claims he feels good and remains confident and hopeful ahead of the NFL Draft.

Unfortunately, NFL teams are not taking all of these into consideration. There are fears regarding his availability in the long term. He will not only be dealing with the aftereffects of a torn ACL, but he also has to recover from a bone graft replacement surgery.

McCoy is not alone in his predicament. Louisville’s wide receiver Chris Bell and Oregon Ducks’ offensive tackle Isaiah World have also had to watch their draft stock fall after picking up ACL injuries.

There is no argument that McCoy is a top ten draft pick on a good day. During McCoy’s two active seasons with Oregon State and the Volunteers in 2023 and 2024, he totaled 75 tackles, 16 passes defended, and six interceptions in 25 games.

However, the medical red flags tainting his career may see him drop out of the first round completely, similar to former Wolverines’ CB Will Johnson in the 2025 NFL Draft, where he dropped from being a projected top 10 pick to landing with the Arizona Cardinals as the 47th pick in the second round.

Dallas Cowboys warned against McCoy

The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the possible destinations of McCoy, as his addition will help improve their struggling defense and help new defensive coordinator Christian Parker rebuild the defense. However, McCoy’s health remains a huge stumbling block.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine gave the Cowboys a caveat on McCoy in his list of “one prospect every team must avoid” in this year’s class.

His advice came a year after the Cowboys selected Sharon Revel in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, not long after he suffered a season-ending torn ACL. As a result, he only managed to make seven appearances.

But the Cowboys do not have the patience for that this time. They need a rookie who will hit the ground running and improve their defense from last season, where they ranked 30th overall in total defense and fielded the worst pass defense in the league. With recent updates on McCoy’s injury, the Cowboys may let him slip through their hands or select him at a later round if he remains unpicked.