‘He Changes the Math’: CB Colton Hood Set to Shake Up Giants’ Starters

Colton Hood didn't expect to fall to the second round, but he’s exactly where he wants to be. From a family history with John Harbaugh to a bold promise to "hit somebody," here is the newest Giants CB.

Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Colton Hood poses on the red carpet before the 2026 NFL Draft at Point State Park. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

New York Giants cornerback Colton Hood didn’t see his selection by Big Blue in the second round of the 2026 NFL draft coming.

Then again, he also didn’t see himself falling to the second round, either.

But both things happened to Hood, whose uncle, Roderick Hood, once played for the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2003-11 seasons, when Giants head coach John Harbaugh was the special teams coordinator and later the defensive backs coach during the 1998-2007 seasons.

Now it’s up to the younger Hood to make the most of the opportunity he’s been given.

“I'm super excited to go into this next chapter of my life and will just go in there and give my best and give my all and be the best version of myself,” Hood told reporters on a conference call.

Hood’s surprise at being selected by the Giants stems from his limited contact with the team leading up to the draft, which amounted to just a formal interview at the combine.

MOOD 😤 pic.twitter.com/AEY4f8y6KO

— New York Giants (@Giants) April 25, 2026

A big opportunity awaits

But his optimism about what lies ahead in playing for a John Harbaugh-coached team lies in what his uncle told him about the veteran head coach.

“My uncle always told me how good of a person he was but also how hard of a coach he was and how good of a coach he was,” the former Tennessee Volunteer defender said.

“Definitely somebody I want to be coached by and somebody I want to play for.”

The feeling is clearly mutual as far as Harbaugh is concerned.

“Competing to start–that's what he's going to do,” he said when asked about how Hood fits into the cornerbacks' room. “We got a cornerback room now. It's amazing how one addition changes the math in a room.

“Cornerback room is good, but now it's really good. He's going to push everybody. I know one thing, he's planning on coming in here and trying to win a starting job.”

Which is exactly how Harbaugh wants it.

“I think they're getting the most competitive person in this draft, the best cornerback in the draft, and someone who's going to come out and give his all each Sunday,” Hood said.

Now it’s up to him to prove it.

“I consider myself a competitor. I can't talk about myself like that in that manner if I'm not going to want to come up and hit somebody. It's extremely important and something that I value in my game,” he said.

“It's more just wanting to prove the Giants right and just thanking them for taking a chance on me and definitely giving my all back to them and this organization.”

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