PITTSBURGH — As theNFL draftgets closer, the smoke surrounding prospects that are either climbing up the draft board or taking a fall becomes more pronounced.
But always keep in mind one thing about the days leading up to the draft. There is always a reason why such talk exists. Bottom line:teams and agentsserve all sorts of different motivations to beam certain information to the masses.
Or, as a general manager put it: “You can’t underestimate the human behavior part of all of this.”
With that, here are a handful of players who, based on conversions, could take a draft fall on the first day of the draft:
Jermod McCoy, Corneback, TennesseeThis has nothing to do with talent, as McCoy is regarded as the best overall cornerback prospect in the draft. The concern is the knee injury he suffered that cost him all of last season, and the recent report indicating he might require additional surgery to repair a cartilage defect
Despite missing all of 2025 and not playing in an actual football game since Tennessee’s playoff loss to Ohio State during the 2024 season, McCoy was still considered a lock to be one of the first cornerbacks off the board. Likely in the top half of the first round.
However, as the draft draws closer, more teams are taking the original knee injury and the latest report into consideration.
Maybe not out of the first round entirely, but certainly lower than originally expected.
Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, MiamiBain was a pass-rushing monster at Miami, and based on on-field production, is a clear-cut top 10 pick. It’s impossible to overstate his 20.5 sacks, 33.5 tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles across the 38 games he played.
But there are valid concerns about his less-than-ideal arm length, which came in at 30 and 7/8 inches at the NFL scouting combine. For an edge rusher, that is an historically low measurement, with only two edge players checking in with shorter arm length since 1999.
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