A leap of faith on Tennessee cornerback
Day 3 of the NFL Draft started off with a bang for the Raiders, who traded up one spot to select Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy.
McCoy is universally regarded as one of the top cornerback prospects in the draft class, with NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks even labeling him as the second-best cornerback behind first-round pick Mansoor Delane. Despite McCoy’s incredible ballhawk skills and ability to play sticky man coverage, there were some questions and concerns around his health after suffering an ACL tear in 2025.
The Raiders assessed the risk, believing it was worth taking a leap of faith for the 20-year-old cornerback in the fourth round.
“This is probably arguably the best corner in the draft,” Hunt said, “and we feel like we have great, great people and a great process to make sure we get the best out of this player.”
McCoy told media after being drafted that he’ll take the direction the Raiders medical team sees is best for rehabbing his knee. The Raiders front brass clarified that they’ll get a better understanding of the situation when he reports for rookie minicamp.
“We’re going to get him in the building, make all those decisions, but right now, we’re really excited about celebrating this kid and getting him in the building,” Hunt said. “He’s 20 years old, he’s twitchy, he’s fast, he’s a cover guy, he’s got some punt return skills, and we’re really excited to see what he does. And the future is bright for this guy.”