Colton Hood is already turning heads at New York Giants training camp, and the former Tennessee cornerback is making that noise fast.
Hood, who spent one season in Knoxville before the Giants took him in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft this spring, had one of the most talked-about plays of camp on Saturday. NFL reporter Connor Hughes said Hood picked off veteran quarterback Jameis Winston and took it back for a pick-six, though the play came off the board because of an offside penalty by the defense.
“Colton Hood, I would keep an eye on that guy,” Hughes said in a social media post. “Because there’s a chance that this kid ends up being really good. There was an offside that negated the play, but he had a pick-six on Winston, but there was an offsides, might have been a little questionable.”
That kind of buzz is showing up in other corners too. CBS Sports’ Emory Hunt said this weekend that Hood could push for a job, even if he wasn’t brought in to step into a starting role right away.
“When I looked at Colton Hood, what instantly stood out to me was how explosive he is out of his break, how quickly he shrinks that space between him and a receiver,” Hunt said on New York’s ‘The Huddle’ show. “So, Colton Hood, to me, I think when we kind of look at who they brought in and where he factors in, could he be a depth guy as a rookie? I think he’s now put himself in contention to vie for a starting spot with how well he stood out in the spring.”
Hood’s path to this point has moved quickly. He transferred to Tennessee ahead of the 2025 season, then got thrust into the top cornerback role after injuries sidelined Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson III for the entire year. He answered with 50 total tackles, 34 solo tackles, one pick-six, and a scoop-and-score touchdown.
His stock kept climbing after the season. Hood impressed at the Senior Bowl, the NFL Combine, and Tennessee Pro Day, all of which helped build momentum before the draft.
Before Tennessee, Hood started at Auburn in 2023 and then spent the 2024 season at Colorado. In his lone year with the Buffaloes under Deion Sanders, he posted 24 total tackles, 20 solo tackles, and two interceptions.
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