Colton Hood is Ideal 'Right Now' Solution for Cowboys Defense in 2026 Draft

The Dallas Cowboys could find themselves a Day 1 starter in the 2026 NFL Draft by selecting Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood.

Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Colton Hood. | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys need to add players to their defense in the 2026 NFL Draft, but those players also need to be able to contribute right away.

Owner Jerry Jones has expressed a sense of urgency because of his age and the limited chances he has left to win a Super Bowl, and the Cowboys' franchise quarterback, Dak Prescott, isn't getting any younger, either.

Dallas will have two bites at the apple to secure a win-now player in the first round of this year's draft and one player who could fit the bill of what the Cowboys are looking for is Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood.

Bucky Brooks of NFL.com told DLLS Cowboys that Hood is an ideal fit for Dallas because he figures to be ready to make an immediate impact.

"Colton Hood, to me, strikes me as being a Cowboy because I believe he's a right now player," Brooks said. "His instincts, awareness, when you watch him move around, he does all those things that pros need to do. There is an immediate runway for him to get on the field. They tried to do this to Revel from East Carolina, developmental guy. (The Cowboys) don't have the time because the clock is ticking on the quarterback. So I want guys that can play right now."

Colton Hood scouting report

Tennessee defensive back Colton Hood. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The 5-foot-11, 193-pound cornerback posted a strong 80.3 Pro Football Focus coverage grade in 2025 and notched eight passes defensed and one pick, but he also showed he wasn't afraid to get involved at the line of scrimmage with 4.5 tackles for loss. His ability to play the run is an added bonus to his game.

Hood doesn't have the big, long frame you'd want in a boundary cornerback, but he plays with physicality and aggression and has 4.44 speed to keep up with faster receivers on the outside.

Hood has the tools to be a good starter in the NFL and, as Brooks says, right away. He's a viable option for the Cowboys with the No. 20 pick, or in the next handful of picks if Dallas trades back.

How Hood fits with Cowboys

Colton Hood runs during Tennessee Football Pro Day. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cowboys have a pair of question marks on the boundary with Shavon Revel and DaRon Bland. The latter struggled once again in 2025 and has had issues staying healthy and Revel has not yet cemented himself as a locked-in starter following an injury-shortened rookie season in which he did not play well.

Adding Hood to the mix gives the Cowboys another option on the boundary. Dallas should have Revel, Hood and Bland compete for the two starting spots and let the winners take the jobs.

If Bland is the odd-man out, the Cowboys can stick him in the slot, even though that's not the preference head coach Brian Schottenheimer has for him.

Should Revel take the "L" in the three-man competition, Dallas can start Bland and Hood on the perimeter and look to in-house guys like safeties P.J. Locke, Jalen Thompson and cornerback Cobie Durant to possibly man the slot. Or, maybe the Cowboys could make a play for someone like Kenny Moore, an experienced cornerback who is a top slot option.

If Hood can't secure a starting job right away, maybe the Cowboys can give him a look on the inside, but that doesn't figure to be his ideal spot at the next level. Instead, Hood would provide some much-needed insurance for Revel and Bland.

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