Raiders Acquire 101st Pick, Draft Jermod McCoy

The 101st pick changed hands twice. The Bills acquired it from the Titans on Thursday before sending it to the Raiders. Las Vegas used the choice on one of the highest-upside corners in the draft. Once considered a shoo-in to go in the first round (perhaps in the top 10), McCoy’s stock dropped precipitously amid concerns over a cartilage defect in his knee.

McCoy missed all of last season with a torn ACL, but that is not what scared teams away. Rather, he may eventually require surgery to replace a bone plug in the same knee, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Another surgery would likely knock out McCoy for an entire year, according to Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson, who adds that an unsuccessful procedure could end his career.

While there are legitimate fears over McCoy’s longevity, the Raiders are nonetheless taking a mid-round flier on one of the most talented defenders in this class. McCoy was among the 20 best prospects available entering the proceedings, according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic (No. 14) and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com (No. 19). The 6-foot, 188-pounder combined for six interceptions in a two-year college career split between Oregon State and Tennessee. He was a second-team All-American in 2024, his lone healthy season with the Volunteers.

McCoy is the second noteworthy offseason cornerback addition for the Raiders, who previously added slot corner Taron Johnson in another trade with the Bills. If healthy, McCoy will join Eric Stokes and 2025 third-rounder Darien Porter among the Raiders’ top options on the outside.