Why Raiders Took Major Swing on Jermod McCoy

McCoy suffered a torn ACL before the 2025 season and missed the entire campaign. While that knee is healthy now, he is also dealing with a cartilage issue that may require another procedure.

With more injuries to attend to, most teams in McCoy's expected draft range took him off their boards and allowed him to slip out of the first three rounds.

How Long McCoy Has Been Away From Football

If he misses another season of football because of that procedure, the last time he appeared in a game would be December 21, 2024 -- 495 days ago.

Let's say he does have the surgery, and he can't play until the 2027 season. Hypothetically, that season wouldn't start until Sept. 11. That's 994 days.

It makes sense why teams would take McCoy off their boards and avoid that risk. But the Raiders are in a perfect position to take the swing.

Why Raiders Are Gambling on Jermod McCoy

The board essentially fell perfectly for Las Vegas, allowing General Manager John Spytek to wait out the rest of the league. By taking him on Day 3, he had two full days to think about taking the chance on McCoy's medicals.

There's also a chance McCoy doesn't have to have another procedure on his knee, and he can play some amount of football during his rookie season. If that becomes a reality, the Raiders will have landed the steal of the draft.

Plus, it's not like the Raiders need McCoy to be Patrick Surtain or Sauce Gardner right away. They're not in any position to compete for the playoffs just yet, and even if they were, they wouldn't rush him back because of the defensive back talent already on the roster.

Las Vegas added three other defensive backs in the draft and re-signed Eric Stokes in free agency. The Raiders don't need to throw McCoy into the fire if he isn't completely healthy.

On tape, McCoy looks like a future franchise cornerback. It all depends on whether his knee can recover correctly.

The Raiders are the perfect team to be patient with McCoy.