The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will likely use the No. 15 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to select a defensive player, and their recent secondary remake could lead to them eschewing some of the better pass rushers in the first round to select a cornerback like Tennessee's Jermod McCoy.
McCoy is an extremely volatile prospect due to his injuries and lack of 2025 tape, but those concerns don't seem to be outweighing his sky-high ceiling.
According to Matt Miller of ESPN, McCoy's Pro Day has reinvigorated the hype around him as a prospect, even referring to him and LSU's Mansoor Delane as "locks" to be picked in the first 15 selections of the draft. The number 15 is quite an interesting cutoff point, especially considering who is in that slot.
The Bucs need cornerbacks in a fairly major way after some offseason salary cap haircuts, and with McCoy's boundless potential closer than ever before to being realized, Todd Bowles and Jason Licht might find it tough to pass on him if he is there at No. 15 overall.
Buccaneers may select Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy in 2026 NFL Draft
McCoy is such an amazing talent at the cornerback position that he is still viewed as a first-round lock despite missing the entire 2025 season with an ACL injury. If he were fully healthy, McCoy would be the top cornerback without anyone short of Delane even challenging him.
After passing all of the size benchmarks and flexing a 4.38 40-yard dash that was faster than even some McCoy fans expected him to run, the former Volunteers star and Oregon State transfer is showing the decision-makers across the league that his injuries are in the past and he is ready to go.
With Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish coming to the team last year in the draft, picking McCoy might be a way to eventually find a replacement for Zyon McCollum down the line. With Jamel Dean having left in free agency, the Bucs need to invest a top pick in finding someone who can be a more immediate replacement.
McCoy is a gamble, but the Bucs need to hit on some gambles after losing so many parts of a very talented roster in the offseason. If he stays healthy, the Buccaneers would have their most talented cornerback in years beefing up a young secondary that can finally start to make some noise.