Jermod McCoy answered every question that mattered on Tuesday in Knoxville. The Tennessee Volunteers cornerback, who tore his ACL in January 2025 and missed the entire season, posted a 4.38 40-yard dash at his pro day while also testing well in the vertical (38 inches) and broad jump (10-foot-7).
More importantly, he participated in positional drills after sitting out the Combine, erasing doubts about whether his surgically repaired knee could withstand NFL scrutiny.
How Jermod McCoy’s Pro Day Reshuffles the 2026 NFL Draft CB1 Debate
Before the injury derailed his junior season, McCoy was tracking as the clear CB1 in this class. His 2024 tape at Tennessee showed a corner who could do everything, and he earned All-SEC honors and became a legitimate shutdown option on the boundary.
According to ESPN’s Matt Miller, McCoy has re-entered CB1 debates for the 2026 NFL Draft after his Pro Day performance.
“The feedback I received from teams was that McCoy is back in the running for CB1,” Miller wrote. “There were some questions even from the morning of the workout about what drills he would participate in. But he did everything, including positional drills.”
“Teams love McCoy’s size (6-foot, 193 pounds) and his over 1-inch advantage in terms of arm length over Delane — 31¼ inches compared to 30 inches,” McCoy added. “And while Delane’s elite final season might keep him in the top spot, both players feel like top-12 locks.”
The 15 months away from football were supposed to crater his stock. Instead, McCoy used the extra training time to come back looking explosive and fluid, validating what scouts had seen on film.
Where McCoy and Mansoor Delane Could Land in the Draft
LSU’s Mansoor Delane still has a case for CB1. He played the entire 2025 season in the SEC and earned unanimous All-America honors while posting a 89.88 grade on PFSN.
Delane allowed just 14 catches for 165 yards on 35 targets. His tape is fresh, his medicals are clean, and he profiles as a Day 1 starter.
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But McCoy’s length and ball skills give him a different ceiling. His ability to play press coverage on an island fits what teams like the Dallas Cowboys (picking 12th) and Cincinnati Bengals (10th) want from their boundary corners. The Cowboys allowed a league-worst 7.3 yards per dropback last season and need a legitimate CB1 opposite DaRon Bland.
If McCoy goes first, Delane won’t fall far. The Los Angeles Rams at 13, the Kansas City Chiefs at 9, and the Bengals at 10 all need cornerback help.
On PFSN’s Big Board, Delane is currently ranked eighth overall as a prospect, while McCoy is 15th. Both players are first-round locks; the only question now is which one hears his name first in Pittsburgh.
