Giants' Overlooked Rookie Might Have to be Great Immediately

Matthew SchmidtSun, Jul 12, 2026·3 min read

Most agree that the New York Giants had a great NFL Draft, but the vast majority of the attention has been focused on linebacker Arvell Reese and offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa, their two first-round selections.

It's understandable considering that both Reese and Mauigoa were top-10 picks, and both are expected to start immediately in Week 1 this coming fall.

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But the Giants also have an overlooked first-year player who may have to make a huge impact immediately: cornerback Colton Hood.

New York selected Hood in the second round this past April in a draft class that was pretty deep at the position.

Hood didn't come with the cachet of Mansoor Delane, who went sixth overall to the Kansas City Chiefs, but there are some who believe that he could end up being the best cornerback of this group.

The University of Tennessee product — who also played for Auburn and Colorado — is very raw, but he possesses tremendous physical traits, a nasty streak and enough savvy to make a terrific cover corner one day.

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The problem for Hood is that day might have to come from the first snap of his rookie campaign.

The Giants' cornerback room is just short of a mess right now. Paulson Adebo is the No. 1, but he was very disappointing during his debut season with New York last year. Free-agent addition Greg Newsome II is currently slotted in to serve as the No. 2, and former first-round bust Deonte Banks is in the mix, as well.

Then, there's Hood, who is probably fourth on the depth chart at the moment, but could ultimately move his way up into a starting role relatively quickly.

I am personally not expecting a monster season from Hood. He is a very green rookie playing arguably the game's most difficult position. It's rare you see young cornerbacks succeed immediately unless they're Patrick Surtain II.

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But that doesn't change Big Blue's situation.

Yes, Adebo could bounce back, and perhaps Newsome — who is now on his third team since being selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft — will fit well in Dennard Wilson's heavy press-man scheme. Banks? He has looked good in offseason workouts, but how much can the Giants really trust him?

Wilson surely already loves Hood because of his physical nature. He played tremendous press coverage at Tennessee, so he is right up Wilson's alley. Taking that into consideration, a strong training camp and preseason could result in Hood getting a large quantity of snaps in the season opener.

It's unfortunate New York is in this position, especially given how good its front seven looks. But the secondary could ultimately derail the entire defense.

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That's where Hood comes into play and could actually take on a heroic role for the defensive backfield, even as a rookie.

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