Giants Rookie CB Colton Hood Finds an Unlikely Mentor in Odell Beckham Jr.

Colton Hood is fighting for a starting cornerback job — and getting an assist from the receiver whose one-handed catch he grew up idolizing.

Jul 30, 2026; White Sulphur Springs, WV, USA; New York Giants cornerback Colton Hood (12) participates in a drill during training camp at The Greenbrier Resort Sports Performance Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With both starting cornerback spots apparently up for grabs, New York Giants rookie Colton Hood remains very much in the race.

That said, he’s also been aware of the need to improve his game while also acclimating to life in the NFL, and Hood feels he’s made progress in that regard.

“Yeah, I have,” he said this week. “It's just coming in and learning every day and just getting used to different splits from the NFL field. Just those little things. The mental part of the game, because I have the physical tools.”

Hood, the team’s second-round draft pick, said one of his biggest steps forward has been in recognizing what’s unfolding before him.

“I'm definitely recognizing formations better. I have a better understanding of the playbook and what the guys are doing around me. I think those are the two biggest things that I had to work on,” he said.

There is a lot for the Giants to like from Hood’s game. He’s a physical young corner who is fearless when it comes to laying the wood.

That in itself is a positive as the Giants look to improve their run game, and it's an aspect that Hood, who, per PFF, has never been graded any lower than 63.8 in that part of the game, said he enjoys putting on display when the opportunity presents itself.

Learning from an Idol

Colton Hood has credited wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for teaching him some tricks receivers use to beat corners. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hood said he’s been able to learn a lot just by covering some of the Giants’ veteran receivers and tight ends, citing Odell Beckham Jr. as someone who’s been especially helpful in Hood’s understanding of the little tricks that receivers do to try to shake young cornerbacks.

Hood, who as a 12-year-old watched Beckham’s iconic one-handed catch against the Dallas Cowboys on national television, has cherished the opportunity to pick Beckham’s brain.

“Every day, I go to him, and I ask him questions,” Hood said of his locker neighbor at The Greenbrier. “He asks me stuff too, like what I'm seeing about him. He's definitely been a big help.”

So too have some of the other veteran receivers like JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Isaiah Likely.

“All those guys are definitely helping me grow as a player. Teaching me different savviness and different things that I'm doing that they're trying to exploit, or they're seeing that I can be better at. They've definitely been a big help in my development, and I'm enjoying getting to know those guys and being out here.”

At some point, decisions will need to be made regarding everyone’s role and place on the depth chart. But Hood said he’s not worried about that right now and will take one day at a time.

“I'm just going to take it day-by-day,” he said. “When it's time for me to go and be out there, I'm going to be out there and do what I need to do.”

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