The Las Vegas Raiders officially locked down their fourth-round pick, cornerback Jermod McCoy, announcing the signing Wednesday. This guy was the 101st overall pick, and his journey to the NFL has been a wild ride, with some serious highlights and one massive roadblock.
McCoy’s College Dominance Before the Setback
Before hitting the NFL, McCoy carved out an impressive college career. He spent two seasons tearing it up at Tennessee after transferring from Oregon State in 2023. We are talking 25 career games, 18 starts, and a total of 75 tackles, 16 passes defensed, and six interceptions. That’s some serious production, right? His sophomore season in 2024 at Tennessee was straight-up elite. He earned All-SEC first-team honors, grabbed an All-America second-team nod, and even became a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist. He started 13 games that year, leading the Volunteers with 13 passes defensed and four interceptions, both marks landing him fourth in the entire SEC. Even as a true freshman at Oregon State in 2023, he played in 12 games with five starts, leading the team with nine passes defensed and two interceptions, plus 31 tackles. This kid knows how to make plays.
The Big Question Mark: A Return From Injury
Here’s the kicker, and it’s the elephant in the room for the Raiders: McCoy missed the entire 2025 season. He tore his ACL in January 2025, sidelining him completely. To still be a fourth-round pick after missing a whole year of college ball, you know the talent is undeniable. He elected to forego his final year of college eligibility to head to the NFL, showing confidence in his recovery and his game. The Raiders are clearly banking on him getting back to that All-SEC form, but recovering from an ACL tear is no joke, especially when you are jumping to the pros.
Now, all eyes are on McCoy as the Raiders’ rookies report to camp on Thursday. This isn’t just a signing; it is the start of a massive comeback story for Jermod McCoy, and we will be watching to see how he shakes off that lost 2025 season.
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Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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