The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been building a formidable secondary, but with a top-15 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, they have a prime opportunity to add another game-changing piece. If they stick to a "best player available" strategy, one name that perfectly fits their profile is Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy.

McCoy enters the draft as arguably the top cornerback prospect, locked in a tight race with LSU's Mansoor Delane. His journey to this point is a testament to his elite athleticism. A multi-sport star in high school who won state titles in the long and triple jump, that explosive athleticism translated immediately to college football. After a standout freshman year at Oregon State, he transferred to Tennessee and exploded onto the scene in 2024, earning second-team All-American honors and locking down receivers all season.

His path hit a major hurdle with an ACL tear that cost him the entire 2025 season, leading to his early draft declaration. While his absence from on-field work at the Combine raised questions, McCoy answered them emphatically at his Pro Day. Clocking a blazing 4.38-second 40-yard dash and posting a 38-inch vertical, he proved the knee injury hasn't robbed him of the elite athletic traits that make him so tantalizing.

This is exactly the kind of profile the Buccaneers have targeted in the first round: young, supremely athletic players with high ceilings. McCoy checks both boxes. For a team that prides itself on a physical, ball-hawking defense, adding a corner with McCoy's coverage skills, ball production, and recovery speed could be a masterstroke. At the very least, he would provide high-end, cost-controlled depth with the potential to develop into a cornerstone of the secondary for years to come.