There was no doubt the Giants viewed cornerback as a position of need on their roster.
They did not address that need in the first round of the NFL Draft but they did not wait long to get to it. They selected Colton Hood from Tennessee Friday night with their second round pick, No, 37 overall.
Hood came off the board before two other highly-ranked cornerbacks, Jermond McCoy of Tennessee and Avieon Terrell of Clemson.
Hood played at three different schools in the past three years – Auburn, Colorado and Tennessee. At 5-11 and 193 pounds, he has good size and good speed (4.44 in the 40-yard dash). He is best-suited playing up at the line as a press corner.
There will be an avenue to immediate playing time for Hood.
The depth chart was not exactly teeming with proven talent at the cornerback position. The leader is Paulson Adebo, a free agent pickup in 2025, who did not have a strong debut season with the Giants. They lost Cor’Dale Flott in free agency and signed Greg Newsome III, a former first rebound pick of the Browns, to a one-year contract.Dru Phillips returns, but he is a slot corner.
The Giants might have wanted a different player at this spot. It is believed they were highly interested in defensive tackle Kayden McDonald from Ohio State and hoped he would be there at No. 37. Right before they were on the clock, though, the Texans made a deal with the Raiders, trading up to No. 36, to take McDonald.
