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A favorite of New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh is already earning rave reviews this offseason.
John Harbaugh knew the type of player he wanted to fix a long, lingering weakness for the New York Giants, and the head coach was able to get a rising talent at a bargain price during the 2026 NFL draft. A price that looks even more like a steal now the rookie in question is earning rave reviews this offseason.
Second-rounder cornerback Colton Hood, the 37th-overall pick this year, has been impressing the right people during OTAs and minicamp. Including defensive backs coach Addison Lynch, who told reporters, Hood’s “doing a great job for us. He’s intelligent. He looks like he belongs–all the skill sets are there. He is just getting the nuances of playing in the NFL against some of these veteran receivers, the different moves, the different splits. But he’s right where we want him,” per Sports Illustrated’s Patricia Traina.
This is just what Harbaugh will want to hear from Hood’s position coach. Harbs coached the player’s uncle, Roderick Hood on the special teams for the Philadelphia Eagles earlier in his career, and the new Giants boss has already talked up the nephew’s athleticism and character.
Harbaugh is counting on Hood to force his way into the starting group at a position where the Giants still have more than a few question marks. It’s a realistic ambition, but only if Hood gets better in two key areas.
The Giants weren’t the only ones prepared to roll the dice on Hood near the top of the draft. His skills were good enough to have one NFC rival considering a trade.
Fortunately for Harbaugh, the Giants were able to stay at 37 and still snag a natural playmaker on the back end. Hood was a big-play machine at Tennessee, taking an interception and a fumble recovery to the house in 2025, per Sports Reference.
The 21-year-old has continued showing a nose for the ball during offseason work in the pros. Hood “had the play of the day at Giants rookie camp, ripping the football out of the hands of RB Miles Davis and spinning away for what would have stood as a 55-yard Pick 6,” according to NorthJersey.com’s Art Stapleton.
Colton Hood had the play of the day at Giants rookie camp, ripping the football out of the hands of RB Miles Davis and spinning away for what would have stood as a 55-yard Pick 6.
Impressive first impression for Hood, urged to do his “Hood” celebration by CB coach Addison Lynch
Generating more splash plays should be a priority after the Giants snatched a mere nine interceptions last season, but opportunistic coverage also needs to be underpinned by solid technique.
Hood’s “still learning are the nuances of zone coverage and how to leverage his physicality,” according to Traina, so there’s obviously room to grow. Fortunately, Lynch believes Hood has “picked up the techniques very fast for a young rookie.”
A new recruit being ahead of schedule is a major boost for Lynch and new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson. Particularly when many other members of the depth chart are on shaky ground.
One of the pressing questions about the Giants’ cornerbacks is who partners Paulson Adebo in the starting lineup? Adebo is a highly effective corner when he’s healthy, although his lengthy injury history still rates as a cause for concern, but the greater worry is the absence of an obvious CB2.
Hood can fill the role, but former first-round pick Deonte Banks has been given a fresh start to prove himself to Harbaugh’s staff. Banks is getting his chance, and so is third-year pro Dru Phillips, despite proving a matchup liability in key areas of the field.
The Giants are gambling on incumbents reviving their respective careers in a new scheme. It’s too great a risk unless a newcomer like Hood continues playing above expectations.
James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko
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