With the 2026 NFL Draft rapidly approaching, one of the biggest questions surrounding this year's class was answered on a track in Knoxville, where cornerback Jermod McCoy put on a show at Tennessee's Pro Day.

Widely considered the most talented cornerback eligible for this year's draft, McCoy suffered an ACL injury back in January of 2024 that cost him all of 2025, leading some to wonder if he could still produce at that same level when he returns to the field this fall. Those questions have largely been answered after watching the 20-year-old run a 4.38 40-yard dash while moving around smoothly in his other drills.

Discussing what McCoy brought to the table on ESPN with Field Yates, ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Matt Miller toasted the Volunteers' cornerback for showing out, as it will build buzz as he climbs up draft boards.

“Yeah, it is a great Pro Day performance 4.38 to show the explosion in the vertical and broad jump as well, and then to get out there new positional drills, McCoy did everything today, and there was some questions even this morning from NFL scouts, what would he actually do after sitting out at the combine?” Miller noted.

“So this is a fantastic day for him to remind people with some late buzz that he was the top corner in this class and would have been I think the top corner in last year's class had he been draft eligible then, so obviously the ACL injury in January was unfortunate but what a way to rebound and again late buzz is better than early buzz to remind general managers about 20 days before the NFL Draft who you are that you're healthy. I think that momentum is really gonna help him out.”

Originally beginning his college career at Oregon State, McCoy really came into his own during his first and only season at Tennessee, picking off four passes while defending nine on the way to a spot on the All-American second team. While it would have been nice to see him take another step forward in 2025, plenty of teams would happily bet on a 6-foot cornerback with a 6-foot-5 wingspan who runs that fast and has those ball skills.