The Dallas Cowboys came out of the first few days of the 2026 NFL Draft with some solid foundational players. After the first round netted them Caleb Downs at No. 11 and Malachi Lawrence at No. 23, Dallas followed things up with Michigan hybrid linebacker Jaishawn Barham. One player they have passed on continually is Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy.
McCoy was once thought to be a late first-round pick in the absolute worst-case scenario, but teams are so scared by his medical history that he wasn't even picked on Day 2. The latest updates about McCoy's injury show exactly why he fell all the way to Day 3.
Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reported that McCoy, who didn't play at all in 2025 due to an ACL tear and didn't even work out at the NFL Combine, could be in line for another season-ending surgery that could end his career if not performed correctly.
Essentially (spoiler warning: semi-gross medical talk), doctors will need to take pieces of bone and cartilage from non-load bearing parts of his leg and transporting it to the impacting areas. That surgery is the only reason McCoy was not selected high in the first round.
NFL insider explains injury risk scaring Cowboys away from Jermod McCoy
McCoy put up some special tape in the 2024 season, using his size and speed to great effect. However, he is unlikely to suddenly become an ironman in the pros, as his inability to stay healthy is almost assuredly going to force him to miss some time as he makes a transition to the pros.
Jerry Jones and the front office have previously installed an unofficial "no redshirts" policy that will ban them from sitting highly-touted rookies on the bench for a year or so. After taking injury-prone players like Jaylon Smith, Damone Clark, and Shavon Revel Jr. in past seasons, Dallas wants instant contributors.
Jones did mention he might be willing to relax that policy, but if the secondary-needy Cowboys saw McCoy available multiple times and decided to continue passing on him, they may continue that line of logic as Day 3 starts to roll around.
The Cowboys still have Round 3 grades on a lot of players. If McCoy is still available in the seventh, Dallas may feel compelled to take him, but expect them to use all three fourth-round picks on players who won't have to redshirt in Year 1.
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