The Dallas Cowboys could be on the verge of making one of the most important decisions of the 2026 NFL draft, and not all are on the same page. One NFL insider is urging the Dallas Cowboys to think twice before making the move for a top prospect.

Tennessee Volunteers cornerback Jermod McCoy has been one of the most talked about and projected names on NFL mock drafts for the Cowboys, but not for Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine.

Ballentine named McCoy as one prospect that the Cowboys must avoid picking in the draft, mainly due to the Dallas Cowboys’ history with injured defensive cornerbacks. 

"Ultimately, the Cowboys have other pressing needs that could be addressed if both Mansoor Delane and Caleb Downs are both off the board," Ballentine wrote via Bleacher Report. "They'd be better off taking an edge-rusher with a higher floor in that scenario."

The Cowboys learned this lesson the hard way in 2025, when they gambled on East Carolina’s Shavon Revel Jr. despite a torn ACL. What followed was a frustrating rookie year, limited to just seven games, raising fresh doubts about banking on injured prospects.

“McCoy is the No. 2 cornerback on our big board.” Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine further said. “There's definitely a world where he is the answer for the Cowboys at outside cornerback, but the fact that McCoy missed the entire 2025 college football season with a torn ACL could be enough to take him off their board with the 12th pick.”

Analysts like Field Yates and Todd McShay rank him as the top cornerback in the class, projecting him as a CB1 with a high-end starter ceiling.

He is expected to be selected in the top 15 of the first round, with potential landing spots including the Dallas Cowboys (No.  12), Indianapolis Colts (No. 14), and Detroit Lions.

However, Cowboys insider Bryan Broaddus aligns with the more cautious view, suggesting Dallas is unlikely to select him despite his high ceiling.

Injury Concerns Cloud Cowboys’ Draft Decision

Dallas Cowboys insider Bryan Broaddus believes the Cowboys would not pick McCoy regardless of who is available on the board.

Broaddus is clear that the injury concern is major enough not to be ignored, and this may push the Cowboys in a different direction entirely. 

“After talking to people in the org, they're saying the knee is a real concern there, as (@BobbyBeltTX) reported," Broaddus said as per the X post by 105.3 THE FAN. "I don't see them taking him if he was there..."

The reason for this concern is mainly because of McCoy’s torn ACL injury, as he missed the entire 2025 college football season.

With the Dallas Cowboys surely looking for immediate defensive rectifications to a poor 2025 season, perhaps they may lean toward a safer, more reliable option on draft night.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote