Jets Could Be Big Winners From CB Prospect's Draft Stock Slide

New York would be wise to monitor this situation.

Dec 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn on the field before the game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The 2026 NFL Draft will begin on Thursday.

The New York Jets have their sights set on a plethora of prospects, and Gang Green could be the beneficiaries of a January 2025 ACL tear and subsequent surgery for one of the top cornerback prospects in the draft. The Tennessee Volunteers' Jermod McCoy, previously a first-round pick, may be set to slide, according to Pro Football Talk's Charean Williams, which is intriguing for a New York team that was ripe with secondary troubles last year.

McCoy is rated as one of the top cornerback prospects and a likely first-round pick. He could fall, though, as Will Johnson did last year over concerns about his knee. Johnson fell out of the first round, going to the Cardinals in the second round — 47th overall.

Charean Williams, PFT

While the Jets have Brandon Stephens and Azareye'h Thomas, there's a need for cornerback depth in the wake of a massive reorganization of the room spurred on by the Sauce Gardner trade with the Indianapolis Colts last November. Signing Nahshon Wright in free agency helps, for sure, but more sets of hands are needed after an interception-less 2025 season for New York.

The Jets been eyeing McCoy and fellow Vol Colton Hood, who were hosted for top-30 visits during the pre-draft process. Before McCoy's injury, it's possible the Jets would've had to use one of their first-round picks to land one of Tennessee's star corners.

Now, it appears New York may be able to use their No. 33 overall selection, or possibly even the No. 44 pick, to take one.

Is Jermod McCoy still injured?

Jermod McCoy runs during Tennessee Football Pro Day 2026, at the University of Tennessee on March 31, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Naturally, Jets fans will wonder if McCoy is still hurt. ACL tears aren't a joke, even if they aren't the death sentence they once were, and the last thing New York needs is to draft a prospect whose health isn't guaranteed.

Fortunately, it doesn't look like it. McCoy ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and had a 38-inch vertical jump at the end of March. His former head coach, Josh Heupel, said in response, “It looked like Jermod out there ... He did a great job testing, which we all anticipated. It’s great to see him back at 100%.”

A lot of worries over McCoy's durability don't align with general managers' willingness to hand injured players big money in the NFL. Then again, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, because it's never clear how a player is going to develop in the pros.

When it comes to McCoy, just like any player with any injury throughout their life, you're taking a risk. His seems amplified because he didn't play in 2025. That's valid for NFL teams putting millions on the line during the draft, when there are countless potential future franchise cornerstones that can be taken instead. Conversely, the fact that he had 16 broken-up passes and six interceptions before his injury can't be ignored.

If the primary concern is whether McCoy is the same athlete after the injury, though, well, it appears his body is holding up just fine. The Jets will have a lot to think about if he's still on the board once the second round commences.