Jermod McCoy isn't crying over spilled milk.

The Tennessee cornerback was projected to be first-round pick in this draft, but a torn ACL kept him out for the entirety of the 2025 season. Two successful seasons at Oregon State and Tennessee, consisting of six interceptions and 16 pass deflections, didn't appear to be enough to outweigh knee health concerns, instead falling in the lap of the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 101 overall pick.

McCoy recognizes there was always going to be doubt with teams regarding the longevity of his knee. As for whether he needs another operation to play, he said he'll do whatever the Raiders' training and medical staff ask of him to get back on the field.

"I was prepared for whatever happened," McCoy said via Zoom after being drafted, "but, I mean, I would've been excited to go higher. ... I had a good Pro Day, ran some good times, and just did good things like that. But, I mean, I was prepared for whatever happened."

"I feel like I'm super mentally strong," he added. "I feel I've just been through a lot. I've got a story that I'm still trying to tell."

Regardless of where he was selected, he's not going to let the slide to the fourth round sully the moment he's yearned for.

"This ain't something you can take for granted," McCoy said. "This is everyone's dream. So it's not just something you can just say, 'I didn't get drafted where I wanted so I'm not [going] to watch the draft' ... It's still a blessing to get drafted. I was in there watching it, got the call, super excited, ready to get to work."

McCoy wasn't necessarily expecting the Raiders to call him, but recently had a Zoom meeting with the front office.

"I was kind of thinking like something was up," he joked.

He now reunites with former Tennessee teammate Dont'e Thornton Jr., the Raiders' 2025 fourth‑round pick. The two played together in 2024, and the cornerback said Thornton texted him almost immediately after the selection was announced, excited about picking up where they left off in practice in Knoxville.

"He's part of the reason why I had the season I had, just guarding him every day and making me better," McCoy said of Thornton. "And then I feel like the same with me, him having to go against me, I'm making him also better. So, I mean, I think getting to do that again is just going to improve both of our games."

And funny enough, McCoy has familiarity with another one of his new teammates as well.

In Week 6 of the 2023 season, the nationally ranked Oregon State Beavers defeated the California Golden Bears 52-40 in a barn burner. One of the deciding factors was McCoy securing his first career interception – against Raiders' No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.

"It was probably one of the top moments in my life, my first college pick," McCoy said. "[Mendoza and I] talked after that game too, just chopped it up a little bit, but I mean, it was good. Good to know we are going to be on the same team too.

"We got the best quarterback in college football and now going to be the best in the league."