Welcome back to another year of the SB Nation Community Mock Draft!
NFL mock draft 2026: Dallas Cowboys select Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
The Dallas Cowboys grab Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy as they look to turn defense around fast.
As we do every draft season, all 32 NFL sites at SB Nation come together to fill out an entire first-round mock draft leading up to the actual event that takes place from April 23-25. One by one, our site managers will make their picks and provide their reasoning behind the selection. From there, I will provide further analysis on top of giving a final opinion on the pick!
Without further ado, let’s keep things rolling!
With the 12th overall pick in the 2026 SB Nation Community Mock Draft, Blogging The Boys’ Dave Halprin and the Dallas Cowboys select Jermod McCoy, cornerback, Tennessee!
Halprin’s analysis:
NFL
SB Nation NFL Mock Draft: With the 12th pick the Dallas Cowboys select…
CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
The Cowboys big needs coming into the draft are cornerback, edge rusher and linebacker. The run on top defensive talent early in this mock left only one blue-chip defender at pick 12, CB Jermod McCoy, but he certainly isn't a consolation prize.
McCoy and Mansoor Delane (taken earlier) are considered the best corners in the draft. McCoy's ACL recovery was the big red flag, but a stellar workout at his Pro Day shows he is in full recovery mode. By the time he plays his first NFL game, he will be 20 months removed from the injury, close to two years. Rumors are the Cowboys might be out on taking him, but they shouldn't be. They need a dominant corner, and McCoy looks like he fits the bill.
Rec 3ReplyRead 32 replies
My analysis: McCoy comes off the board as the second-overall cornerback despite the ACL tear that took his entire 2025 season. The Cowboys defense was abysmal this past year and a good place to start trying to turn it around is grabbing a guy who may as well have been the bonafide CB1 in this class if it wasn’t for the devastating injury.
McCoy was very productive in his two healthy seasons at Tennessee with six interceptions and 16 pass breakups from 2023-2024. He’s a very loose-hipped defender with great lower-body explosion that helps him get into passing lanes in a blink. If his injury doesn’t linger into his rookie season, don’t be surprised if McCoy ends up being one of the top rookie corners in 2026.
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