NFL Scouting Combine Secrets: Which WRs, OTs, CBs—and Surprise RBs—Could Redefine the Draft?

Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

McCoy has been battling to be the first cornerback selected despite not playing a game in over a year. That’s just how toolsy the tools that he flashed in 2024 were in his last season of playing. If McCoy can help assure teams that his knee is A-OK after an ACL injury in January 2025, he could keep his name high on boards. McCoy is supremely talented, but his stock has, and will be, fascinating to keep track of.

Defensive Tackles, in general

There are a heaping of generously portioned defensive prospects for NFL teams to pick in this year’s draft. It’s a good year to need an interior defensive linemen, especially in the back half of the first round and into Day 2. There are a few different flavors — from maulers to run pluggers to oversized gap shooters — that can all show off something this week to get tabbed as the guy to help be a linchpin for defenses that are moving to more top-down play and lighter boxes, thus needing more beef upfront. Prospects like Clemson’s Peter Woods, Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald, Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter, Georgia’s Christen Miller, Florida’s Caleb Banks, Iowa State’s Domonique Orange and Florida State’s Darrell Jackson Jr. can help separate themselves with big weeks.