New York Giants select Colton Hood in 2nd round of 2026 NFL Draft

Former Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood was selected by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Vols’ star can now begin his pro career!

Hood began his career at Auburn before transferring to Colorado and then Tennessee to finish his career. He spent a year at each school.

This past season, Hood had 50 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one interception and eight pass deflections. He has three career interceptions and 77 total tackles across 29 games.

As a member of the Class of 2023, Hood was a four-star recruit out of McDonough (Ga.) Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He was the No. 38 overall prospect in the state, the No. 42 cornerback in the class and the No. 383 overall prospect in the class.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Colton Hood

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein broke down Hood ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. You can read his evaluation below.

“Press-man bully with an ability to put his stamp on the first and last phases of the snap,” he wrote. “Hood plays with a disruptive punch and gets his hands on most releases, but shifty NFL wideouts could create issues for him. He has enough speed to stay phased on verticals and does a nice job erasing space on in-breakers from tight press or off-man looks. He’s disciplined in zone but route switches still cause occasional missteps.

“Hood plays with aggression in the catch space, taking top positioning by force. Physicality also shows up in run support, where he triggers downhill with stopping power and finishes like an extra safety. Hood needs to sharpen his instincts/technique, but he has the mentality and upside to become a CB2 in a press-heavy scheme.”

Going into the draft, Zierlein projected Hood as a first round pick.His NFL comparison was New England Patriots CB Carlton Davis III.