Jermod McCoy

● Gifted athlete for his size and closes quickly ● Patient, loose hips to stay connected to different route runners in man coverage ● Uses inside-hand technique to jam, position himself and find the football ● Springy acceleration in read and drive from off coverage ● His eyes follow quarterback’s vision to overlap zones and be disruptive ● Crowds catch points to increase difficulty for receivers to finish ● College resume features on-ball production you want ● Productive with the ball in his hands (9.8 yards per punt return, 17.8 yards per interception return in 2024) ● Throws body around in run support; serviceable run defender

● Torn ACL in right knee (January 2025) during offseason training, which required surgery and sidelined him for entire 2025 season ● Doesn’t always trust his eyes when diagnosing routes ● Inconsistent regaining phase and commanding the ball on downfield targets ● Gets grabby and loses technique when he feels threatened downfield (five pass interference penalties in 2024) ● Also flagged for offsides, personal foul and horse-collar tackle in 2024 — needs to develop his discipline ● Muffed punt return against Kentucky in 2024

A one-year starter at Tennessee (and one-and-a-half-year starter overall), McCoy was the left cornerback (primarily outside) in former defensive coordinator Tim Banks’ man-heavy scheme. Known more as an offensive player in high school, he announced himself as an up-and-coming cornerback at Oregon State in 2023 — his first career interception came against then-Cal QB Fernando Mendoza. He transferred to Tennessee as a sophomore and had an All-America season, with 13 passes defended and four interceptions, before an ACL injury wiped out his junior year. 514 Back to table of contents -- 518 of 629 -- The bad news is McCoy doesn’t have any 2025 tape. The good news is McCoy’s 2024 tape is really, really good. He is patient, agile and balanced in press-man coverage and has the reactive athleticism to gear up or down quickly. Though he has the requisite speed for the NFL, his panic moments downfield can draw him out of phase or lead to flags. He shows terrific awareness in zone to feel and bait routes around him, while also driving on the action in front of him. Overall, McCoy needs to hone his discipline to hold up versus NFL competition, but he is a twitchy mover with the spatial instincts and ball skills to create plays in coverage. If there are no concerns with his knee, he should be an early NFL starter as a rookie.