Tennessee standout cornerback Jermod McCoy fits Tampa Bay's defensive needs. Can he lock down the Buccaneers' secondary?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles has made it clear the team needs to add a cornerback.
The Bucs could do that with a current NFL player via free agency or trade.
They could also do it in the draft.
If Tampa picks the latter, one of the best corners in the SEC could be the way to go.
In the meantime, Bucs Roundtable will take a closer look at a range of prospects headed for the 2026 draft that might jell with Tampa Bay's current roster, coaching staff, and the team's X's and O's strategies.
Bucs Roundtable has been studying the tape on top defensive talent that might interest the Buccaneers, including defensive ends Cashius Howell from Texas A&M and Miami Hurricane Akheem Mesidor, as well as elite linebackers the likes of Indiana's Aiden Fisher and Georgia's CJ Allen. As the Bucs add depth in their secondary, available star prospects include cornerbacks Davison Igbinosun out of Ohio State, Arizona's Treydan Stukes, South Carolina safety Jalon Kilgore and Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.
Offensive role players will also be a focal point for Tampa Bay, and our draft profiles feature offensive linemen like Penn State's Vega Ioane, as well as center Trey Zuhn III out of Texas A&M; tight end Kenyon Sadiq out of Oregon; and Georgia State receiver Ted Hurst.
Tampa Bay will make its first selection on opening night at the 2026 draft, with the No. 15 pick, on Thursday, April 23, in Pittsburgh. The team owns a total of seven picks this year, including three in the top 100.
As the draft draws near, we shine a light on Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy.
A Snakebitten 2025
McCoy doesn't have an advantage that most draft prospects have -- he didn't play last season.
Last January, a month after Tennessee's 2024 season ended in the College Football Playoff, McCoy tore his ACL and, as a result, missed the following campaign.
Even though McCoy couldn't play, he still proved his value in a way.
In 2024, with McCoy, Tennessee had the second-best pass defense in the SEC.
In 2025, without him, it ranked 14th.
McCoy attended the NFL combine in Indianapolis, but didn't participate in any workouts. He did participate in Tennessee's Pro Day on March 31, running a 4.37 40-yard dash and booking a 38-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot, 7-inch broad jump, showcasing the traits that made him a second-team All-American.
A Difference-Maker
As evidenced by his 40 time, McCoy can run with just about anybody.
But speed can only take a corner so far.
Having ball skills is essential, and McCoy showed that in 2024 by ending the season with 13 passes defensed (one shy of the SEC lead) and four interceptions.
On-Field Strengths
So what else does McCoy do well that made him an All-American performer? Well, he can cover. The average passer rating in college football is somewhere between 120 and 140. Per Pro Football Focus, QBs had a 53.6 passer rating against McCoy.
Additionally, only one SEC receiver caught a touchdown pass against McCoy in more than 173 snaps in 2024, per Pro Football Focus. At 6-feet and 193 pounds, which is the typical build for an NFL corner. But McCoy's 4.3 speed is well above the league average for the position, which is between 4.48 and 4.5 per NFL.com.
McCoy is known as a "sticky" corner who can recover fast when a receiver does beat him on a route. His hips also allow him to change his direction when needed.
Areas for Improvement
The biggest question mark for McCoy is how well he'll recover from his injury.
Although he's proven that his athleticism hasn't gone anywhere, McCoy still missed a year of development against top-flight competition, and as a result, will come to the pros with only two seasons of game experience under his belt, one of which was in the Pac-12 at Oregon State (2023).
McCoy is also known to grab on occasion, as evidenced by his eight penalties in 2024.
Prospect Draft Position
There's no guarantee McCoy will be available for the Bucs at pick No. 15, as the Mock Draft Database has him as the No. 14 overall prospect.
But with Jamel Dean gone and 2025 draft picks Jacob Parrish and Benjamin Morrison still developing, the Bucs could use a corner, so McCoy being available at 15 would give them something to think about.
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