The Las Vegas Raiders made one of the most interesting picks in the draft when they selected former Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy at the top of the fourth round. He was a first-round talent and arguably the best cornerback prospect in the draft, but a torn ACL caused him to miss the 2025 season, and there’s concern that it could be a long-term issue.
In fact, there’s a chance that McCoy may have to undergo a risky surgery that would likely cause him to miss his rookie season. The young cornerback is currently trying to enjoy getting drafted, but the surgery question did come up. He’s leaving the decision up to the team.
“I feel good, but as far as another surgery, that would be based on what the team wants me to do,” McCoy told reporters after getting drafted, via Paul Gutierrez of Raiders.com.
The surgery question will likely be a talking point in the coming weeks. The Raiders will have their team doctors get a closer look at McCoy’s knee before they come to a decision. It’s something the team shouldn’t rush. Fortunately, McCoy is feeling good mentally right now.
“I feel like I’m super mentally strong,” McCoy said.
Surgery Could Threaten McCoy’s Career
The biggest reason that McCoy fell to the fourth round wasn’t just because of a torn ACL. Essentially, he might need to get surgery that could threaten his football career, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
“The surgery Jermod McCoy had was similar to a microfracture (they don’t really do microfractures anymore),” Breer wrote on X. “And the concern is if he has to have the surgery—which isn’t always successful—redone, his career would be over.
“But before all this, he was up there with Mansoor Delane.”
This is why the Raiders have to really weigh their options before having McCoy redo his surgery. He’s a logical risk to take in the fourth round, but it’s easy to understand why teams didn’t take him earlier.
McCoy Could’ve Been CB1 in Draft
It really is a shame that McCoy has knee concerns because he’s an excellent player. In fact, there’s a chance he would’ve been a top-10 pick if the knee was 100%.
“I’ve got a hard time in two phases,” a defensive backs coach told The Athletic. “One: It sounds like the knee is worse than what people thought, and two, if it isn’t as bad as what people think, then he probably didn’t come back as soon as he could’ve. But from a traits standpoint, he’s what you’re hunting. He should be the top guy off the ’24 tape. He’s long, has ball skills, he plays with vision, he reacts and responds well with what he sees, he has good top-end speed, and it’s not just long speed. He has quickness and really good change-of-direction ability. He’s like a fish in water. He’s such a fluid mover.”
If McCoy can get his knee right, he could be the steal of the draft. That would be great news for the Raiders, as cornerback is a very big need for the defense.
New Raiders CB Jermod McCoy Addresses Potential Career-Ending Surgery