Jermod McCoy wasn't taken until the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders. But he is no ordinary Day 3 selection. McCoy was undoubtedly going to be a top-15 pick before injuries cost him his final collegiate season and caused him to miss much of the pre-draft process.
But if he can stay healthy, McCoy may very quickly become the Silver and Black's No. 1 cornerback. Not only that, but he could lock down an entire side of the field and be that ballhawk or takeaway specialist that the Raiders haven't had, but have sorely needed, since Charles Woodson retired.
Now, I'm not comparing McCoy to Woodson. As we look at who McCoy could be in the NFL, though, we found a high-end, a low-end, and a most realistic player comparison for him, injuries aside. And if all goes well, then Las Vegas will have found the antidote to its longstanding secondary problems.
NFL player comparisons for Las Vegas Raiders CB Jermod McCoy
High-end: Stephon Gilmore
Call me crazy, but this is absolutely McCoy's ceiling. Let's start with the physical profile: Both are just a hair under 6-foot-1, have 31-inch arms, slightly over 9-inch hands and weigh about 190 pounds. If anything, McCoy is actually bigger, at least coming out of college.
McCoy was also dominating the SEC and its best wide receivers as a 19-year-old, so one can only imagine what he'll do with professional coaches and an NFL-caliber supporting staff. Both he and Gilmore are dynamic athletes with great ball skills, tremendous footwork and great size.
On top of that, McCoy's zone instincts were better coming out of college and his technique was a bit more sound, and his hips a tad more fluid. Will McCoy develop as Gilmore did and become a Defensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-Pro and Super Bowl champ? Time will tell. But he can.
Low-end: Tyson Campbell
Allow me to start by saying that there is nothing wrong with being a Tyson Campbell-level player. He is an above-average NFL cornerback with great physical tools who is still young and may have another level to get to. But if he stays healthy, to me, this is McCoy's floor: Good but not great.
Like McCoy and Gilmore, McCoy and Campbell have nearly identical builds. Both McCoy and Campbell have flexible hips and lightning-quick footwork, as well as the ability to perfectly mirror route-runners. Physicality was a question for both coming out of college.
However, I expect McCoy to be better than Campbell is, again, if he can stay on the field. But the Raiders nabbing a solid cornerback who can start for years in Round 4 wouldn't be a loss by any means, all things considered.
Most likely NFL comp: Jaycee Horn
Although Horn is still young, he has the exact trajectory I see McCoy having in the NFL. Horn's career got off to a slow start, thanks to injuries, but he has rebounded and put together back-to-back Pro Bowl campaigns. All things considered, that sounds about like McCoy: Great when healthy.
Again, these two have very similar builds, even if Horn is a bit longer and heavier. But their pure size, athleticism and man coverage ability make them comparable players. Neither was a tremendous tackler in college, but both did more than their share to keep opposing wideouts in check.
If McCoy struggles early in his career or spends more time on the training table than in the lineup, he can still look to Horn as a beacon of hope. Horn battled through injuries and became a $100 million cornerback, and the fact that this feels realistic for McCoy is a reason for Raider Nation to be excited.
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