The Las Vegas Raiders are saying they have faith in Jermod McCoy, but he's struggling on the field.
The Las Vegas Raiders are getting their first real look at cornerback Jermod McCoy as the season opens, and it’s not what we thought it would be.
McCoy dropped into the Raiders’ lap in the fourth round of the draft back in April due to the medicals on his surgically-repaired knee, with the intel being that any subsequent knee injury would likely be a career-ender for the Tennessee product.
The Raiders babied McCoy in training camp, and they were able to get him on the field. So far, so good, but what we’ve seen on the field hasn’t been all that so far. According to Sam Warren of The Athletic, McCoy’s play against the Los Angeles Chargers was “less impressive” that his rookie classmates, as he gave up catches both times he was targeted that went for 34 yards.
He also struggled to corral Chargers running back Omarion Hampton, per the writer, who added that coach Klint Kubiak still saw a lot he liked from McCoy.
The coach’s verdict wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement. Kubiak noted that McCoy had “meaningful snaps” in the game, and that the Raiders intend to keep “building him up, keep building his confidence.” He added that McCoy has given the team the confidence to play him more, but that’s a pretty backhanded form of support as well.
Meanwhile, Hezekiah Masses is showing out, earning Rookie of the Week honors to go with AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors with a pair interceptions in an outstanding game against the Los Angeles Chargers last week.
Masses is confident going on cocky, so he’s going to make his share of rookie mistakes going forward, especially given that he was selected in the fifth round. But he’s not supposed to be beating out McCoy given the talent level the former top corner showed in his college career.
Kubiak couldn’t be more bland about this with his comments, as he reiterated one of his mantras that competition is good for the organization as a whole. Whether it’s good for McCoy going forward, though, could be another matter entirely as he tries to shake off the rust due to his injury.
The other variable in the cornerback equation is Darien Porter, but he’s been a non-factor in all this going forward. He’s out with a foot injury, and given Porter’s struggles last year he may turn out to be a depth piece when he returns, but there’s also the possibility that he becomes expendable at some point.
