Three rounds of the 2026 NFL draft are in the books and there’s still one player left on the board that was expected to go in the first round if not for injury concerns: former Tennessee corner Jermod McCoy.
The ACL tear that caused him to miss the 2025 season doesn’t appear to be the issue. According to a report from CBS Sports insider Charles Robinson, McCoy has a bone plug, “which is basically a piece of bone cartilage was used to repair a degenerative cartilage issue in that same knee.”
Doctors believe the plug will need to be replaced at some point in his early playing career and one team believes a second surgery, if not successful, could end his career.
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ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr has McCoy atop his list of the best available players for the final four rounds of the draft.
“McCoy is still on the board going into Day 3, but teams are obviously concerned about that knee injury. Remember, he missed the entire 2025 season and didn’t work out at the combine. Ten corners have been picked, so it just depends on when someone feels comfortable enough to take him. If healthy, he has first-round traits,” he said.
Kiper also listed former Pittsburgh safety/linebacker hybrid Kyle Louis, Penn State edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton, Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr and Texas corner Malik Muhammad as the four other best available prospects.
“I really like Louis, but teams will have to figure out where to play him. He’s a hybrid, but in the right system, a defensive coordinator could line Louis up as a box safety, an off-ball linebacker, at outside linebacker, in the slot and over the top. He closes on the ball with pace,” Kiper said.
“Some speedsters are out there, too. Washington cruised to a 4.33 at the combine, while Thompson had a 4.26. I was wondering if a team would snag Thompson on Day 2 not only for his slot ability but also for his returner skill set. Keep an eye on both of them Saturday,” he added, noting his No. 6 best available prospect: wide receiver Brennan Thompson.
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